The Tales of the Son Of Poseidon: The Magical Labyrinth
by Yugioash
Summary: Just what I need, another monster attack at school before the school year starts, a familiar Hellhound showing up at camp Half-Blood and the camp facing an invasion from Luke's army inside Daedalus Labyrinth that only someone who could see through the Mist or an Andrea's string can guide through. We must try to stop Luke or face the first battle of the second titan war.
1. Goode's Cheerleading Squad are Monsters

**A/N:** Certain ancient Greek names matches words use of foul language but no foul language was intentionally used. Also if you haven't read them yet read 'The Tales of the Son of Poseidon & the Early Adventures' 'The Tales of the Son of Poseidon & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief' 'The Tales of the Son of Poseidon & the Olympians: The Sea of Monsters' and 'The Tales of the Son of Poseidon & the Olympians: The Titan's Curse' before reading this story. Lastly, any one who wants to do a Demigods and Olympian reads story using 'The Tales of the Son of Poseidon' is allowed _as long as_ you inform me about it.

* * *

 **The Tales of the Son of Poseidon & the Olympians: The Magical Labyrinth**

 **Goode's Cheer Leading Squad are Monsters**

The last thing I wanted to do on my summer break was to blow up another school. But there I was Monday morning, the first week of June, sitting in my mom's car in front of Goode High School on East 81st.

Goode was this big brown building overlooking the East River. A bunch of BMW's and Lincoln Town Cars were parked out front. Staring up at the fancy stone archway, I hoped I don't get expelled from this school.

Well, I didn't really got expelled in my last school, but since Paul got me a holding place here, it was clear I wasn't attending the high school classes of it.

"Just relax." My mom didn't sound relaxed. "It's only orientation tour. And remember, dear, this is Paul's school. So try not to… you know."

 _Destroy it,_ I figured she was going to say.

Paul Blofis, my mom's boyfriend, was standing out front, greeting future ninth graders as they came up the steps. With his salt-and-pepper hair, denim clothes, and leather jacket, he reminded me of a TV actor, but he was just an English teacher.

I looked at my mom. "You hanven't told him about the truth about me, have you?"

She tapped her fingers nervously on the wheel. She was dressed up for a job interview—her best blue dress and high heeled shoes. She had finally graduated NYU and got her degree in writing thanks to our school funds and a little prayer to Athena. Now she was planning to get a better paying job to help her dream in writing.

"I thought we should wait," she admitted. "I'm sure orientation will be fine, Percy. It's only one morning. Then tomorrow you're off to camp. Don't forget, after orientation, you've got your date—"

"It's not a date!" I protested. "It's just Annabeth, Mom. Jeez!"

"She's coming all the way from camp to meet you."

"Well, yeah."

"You're going to the movies."

"Yeah."

"Just the two of you."

"Mom!"

She held up her hands in surrender, but I could tell she was trying hard not to smile. "You'd better go inside, dear. I'll see you tonight."

"Okay mom," I responded.

I got out of the car. As my mom drove off, I was about to head inside when I froze.

Paul Blofis was greeting a girl with frizzy red hair. She wore a maroon T-shirt and ratty jeans decorated with marker drawings. When she turned, I caught a glimpse of her face, and the hairs on my arms stood up. It was the girl I met back in Hoover Dam last winter: Rachel Elizabeth Dare. Great, just what I need right now.

Instead going through the front entrance, I sneaked around the side.

…

I wish I can say my plan went well, but it didn't. Two cheerleaders in purple-and-white uniforms were standing at the side entrance, waiting to ambush freshmen.

"Hi!" they smiled. One was blond with icy blue eyes. The other was Africa American with dark curly hair like Medusa's (and believe me, I know what I'm talking about). Both girls had their names stitched in cursive on their uniforms, but with my dyslexia, the words looked like meaningless spaghetti.

"Welcome to Goode," the blonde girl said. "You are _so_ going to love it here."

But she looked at me like I was a play thing ready to be pounced at. I guess I can understand. After seven years training to be a hero and three school years on the swim team, I look like a combination of athletic swimmer and skater dude. But at the same time I dressed like a weirdo with my shirt untucked to hide my celestial bronze thermos attach to my belt.

The other girl stepped uncomfortably close to me. I studied the stitching on her uniform and made out _Kelli_. She smelled like roses and strangely fresh washed horses. It was a weird scent for a cheerleader. "What's your name, fish?"

"Fish?"

"Freshmen?"

"Uh, Percy."

The girls exchange looks.

"Oh, Percy Jackson," the blond one said. "We've been waiting for you."

That sent a chill down my back. Normally when someone says that too me, it never turns out good. What's worse, they were blocking the entrance, smiling in a not-very-friendly way right now. My hand crept instinctively toward my pocket, where I kept my lethal ballpoint pen, Riptide.

Then another voice came from inside the building: Percy?" It was Paul Blofis, somewhere down the hallway. I'd never been so glad to hear his voice.

The cheerleaders backed off and I headed in and dashed through the hall.

"There you are!" Paul told me. "Welcome to Goode!"

"Hey, Paul—uh, Mr. Blofis." I glanced back, but those cheerleaders had disappeared.

"Percy, you look like you've seen a ghost."

I forced out a chuckle. "You could say that."

Paul clapped me on the back. "Listen, I know you're nervous, but don't worry. We get a lot of kids here with ADHD and dyslexia. The teachers know how to help. And I already put in a good word about you to our swim team coach—telling him you were the best swimmer in your old schools—and he's willing to let you try out."

"Uh, right, thanks," I responded. If only ADHD dyslexia and joining the swim team were my biggest worries. I mean, I knew Paul was trying to help, but if I told him the truth about me, he'd either think I was crazy or I scared him awy. Those cheerleaders, for instance. I had a bad feeling about them…

Then I looked down the hall, and I remembered I had another problem. Rachel Elizabeth Dare, who I'd last saw on the front steps, was just coming in the main entrance.

 _Don't notice me_ , I prayed.

She noticed me. Her eyes widened

"Thanks a lot, Mr. Blofis, you mind telling me where the orientation is?" I asked.

"The gym. That way. But—"

"Thanks Mr. Blofis." I ran off after that.

I thought I'd lost her.

A bunch of kids were heading for the gym, and soon I was just one of three hundred fourteen-years-old all crammed into the bleachers. A marching band played an out-of-tune fight song that sounded like somebody hitting a bag of cats with a metal baseball bat. Older kids, probably student council members, stood up front modeling the Goode school uniform and looking all, _Hey, we're cool_. Teachers milled around, smiling and shaking hands with students. The walls of the gym were plastered with big purple-and-white banners that said WELCOME FUTURE FRESHMEN, GOODE IS GOOD, WE'RE ALL FAMILY, and a bunch of other happy slogans.

None of the other freshmen looked thrilled to be here. I mean, coming to orientation in June, when school doesn't even start until September, is considered _not_ cool. But at Goode, "We prepare to excel early!" At least that's what the brochure said.

The marching band stopped playing. A guy in pinstripe suit came to the microphone and started talking, but the sound echoed around the gym so I had no idea what he was saying. He might've been gargling.

Someone grabbed my shoulder. "What are you doing here?"

It was the redheaded girl I was trying to avoid.

"Rachel Elizabeth Dare," I said.

Her jaw dropped like she couldn't believe I had the nerve to remember her name. "And you're Percy somebody. I didn't get your full name last December when you tried to _kill_ me."

"That was by accident!" I responded. "What are _you_ doing here?"

"Same as you, I guess. Orientation."

"So you live in Manhattan?" I asked.

"Queens, actually," Rachel responded.

Some guy behind us whispered, "Hey, shut up. The cheerleaders are talking!"

"Hi, guys!" a girl bubbled into the microphone. It was the blonde I'd seen at the entrance. "My name is Tammi, and this is, like, Kelli." Kelli did a cartwheel.

Next to me, Rachel yelped like someone had stuck her with a pin. A few kids looked over and snickered, but Rachel just stared at the cheerleaders in horror. Tammi didn't seem to notice the outburst. She started talking about all the great ways we could get involved during our freshmen year.

"Run," Rachel told me. "Now."

I nodded. See, Rachel has a rare ability most mortals don't have, which is she could see through the magical veil that covered the mystical know as the Mist. I know this because my mom also has this ability and she used it to help keep me safe for the first seven years of my life before I was forced on the run by a Hellhound.

I made my way through the edge of the bleachers with Rachel following me for some reason, ignoring the frowning teachers and grumbling kids we stepped on.

"Hold on a second!" I told her.

I snapped my fingers and a strong breeze filled the gymnasium and everyone acted as if nothing happened.

"Extra precautionary," I responded.

Rachel stared at me like I did something weird, but shrugged it off as we headed out.

We snuck into the band room and hit behind the percussion section's instruments.

"Okay, what did the cheerleaders really look like? What did you see?" I asked.

Her green eyes were bright with fear. She had a sprinkle of freckles on her face that reminded me of constellations. Her maroon T-shirt read HARVARD ART DEPT. "You… you wouldn't believe me."

"Oh, yeah, I would," I promised. "I know you can see through the Mist."

"The what?"

"The Mist. It's like this veil that hides the way things really are, and those who can manipulated the Mist can use it to alter memories and even create new ones so if they ever see anything Mystical, they will remember it as something else," I responded.

"Is that what you did back there?" Rachel asked, "That breeze thing?"

I nodded, "I manipulated the Mist so the students and teachers didn't see us leaving and still think we're still in there."

"Then how come I'm not affected?" Rachel asked.

"Because you're one of few mortals who can see through the Mist, and cause of it, you're immune to all the magical effects of it," I explained.

She studied me carefully. "Why did you just call me mortal like you're not?"

I flinched. "It's difficult to explain."

"Tell me," she begged. "You know what it means. All those horrible things I see?"

I sighed. "Okay, find. Do you know anything about Greek myths?"

"Like… the Minotaur and the Hydra?"

"Yeah, just try not to say those names when I'm around, okay?"

"And the Furies," she said, warming up. "And the Sirens, and—"

"Okay!" I looked around the band hall, making sure there wasn't any bloodthirsty monsters going to pop up; but we were still alone. Down the hall, I heard a mob of kids coming out of the gymnasium. They were starting the tour. We didn't have long to talk.

"All those monsters," I said, "all the heroes from Greek mythology, all the Greek gods—they're real."

"I knew it!"

I would've been more comfortable if she'd called me a liar, but Rachel looked like I'd just confirmed her worst suspicion.

"You don't know how hard it's been," she said. "For years I thought I was going crazy. I couldn't tell anybody. I couldn't—" Her eyes narrowed. "Wait. Who are you? I mean _really_?"

"I'm a half-blood," I said. "I'm half human."

"And half what?"

Just then Tammi and Kelli stepped into the band room. The doors slammed shut behind them.

"There you are, Percy Jackson," Tammi said. "It's time for your orientation."

"They're horrible!" Rachel gasped.

Tammi and Kelli were still wearing their purple-and-white cheerleader costumes, holding pom-poms from the rally.

"What do they really look like?" I asked, but Rachel seemed too stunned to answer.

"Oh, forget her," Tammi gave me a brilliant smile and started walking toward us. Kelli stayed by the doors, blocking our exit.

They trapped us. I knew we'd have to fight our way out so I kept my eyes away from Tammi's dazzling smile, knowing she was trying to use it to distract me.

I got my pen out of my pocket and uncapped it. Riptide grew into a three foot-long bronze sword, its blade glowing with a faint golden light. Tammi's smile turned to a sneer.

"Oh, come on," she protested. "You don't need that. How about a kiss instead."

 _How about no?_ I thought.

"Percy—" Rachel responded.

"Oh don't listen to her, she's just jealous." Tammi looked back at Kelli. "May I, mistress."

Kelli was still blocking the door, licking her lips hungrily. "Go ahead, Tammi. You're doing fine.

Tammi took another step forward, but I leveled the tip of my sword at her chest. "Get back."

She snarled. "Freshmen," she said with disgust. "This is _our_ school, half-blood. We feed on whom we choose!"

Then she began to change. The color drained out of her face and arms. Her skin turned as white chalk, her eyes completely red. Her teeth grew into fangs. Her left leg changed into a brown shaggy donkey hoof, and her right lelg was shaped like a human, but it was made of bronze.

"You're _Empousai_ : the servants of Hecate: goddess of magic and creator of the Mist," I responded.

"That's right Percy Jackson," Tammi responded, "How about I reward you with a kiss?"

She bared her fangs but before she could do anything, Rachel threw a snare drum at the _empousa_ 's head.

The demon hissed and batted the drum away. It went rolling along the aisles between music stands, its springs rattled against the drumhead. Rachel threw a xylophone, but the demon just swatted that away, too.

"I don't usually kill girls," Tammi growled. "But for you, mortal, I'll make an exception. Your eyesight is a little _too_ good!"

She lunged at Rachel.

"No!" I slashed Riptide. Tammi tried to dodge my blade, but I sliced straight through her cheerleader uniform, and with a horrible wail she exploded into dust all over Rachel.

Rachel coughed. She looked like she'd just had a sack of flour dumped on her head. "Gross!"

"Monsters do that," I said. "Sorry."

"You killed my trainee!" Kelli yelled. "You need a lesson in school spirit, half-blood!"

Then she too began to change. Her wiry hair turned to flickering flames. Her eyes turned red. She grew fangs. She loped toward us, her brass foot and hoof clopping unevenly on the band-room floor.

"I am senior _empousa_ ," she growled. "No hero has bested me in a thousand years."

"Yeah?" I said. "Then you're overdue.

Kelli was a lot faster than Tammi. She dodged my first strike ad rolled into the brass section, knocking over a row of trombones with a mighty crash. Rachel scrambled out of the way. I put myself between her and the _empousa_. Kelli circled us, her eyes going from me to the sword.

"Such a pretty little blade," she said. "What a shame it stands between us."

Her formed shimmered—sometimes a demon, sometimes a pretty cheerleader. She was clearly trying to distract me.

I reached for my side where I kept my Thermos.

"Don't even think about reaching for that thermos of yours," Kelli said, "Not that it would help you."

I froze. "What?"

"Poor dear," Kelli chuckled. "You don't even know what's happening, do you? Soon, your pretty little camp in flames, your friends made slaves to the Lord of Time, and there's nothing you can do to stop it. It would be merciful to end your life now, before you have to see that."

From down the hall, I heard voices. A tour group was approaching. A man was saying something about locker combinations.

The _empousa_ 's eyes lit up. "Excellent! We're about to have company!"

She picked up a tuba and threw it at me. Rachel and I ducked. The Tuba sailed over our heads and crashed through the window.

The voices in the hall died down.

"Percy!" Kelli shouted, pretending to be scared, "why did you throw that?"

Kelli picked up a music stand and swipe a row of clarinets and flutes. Chairs and musical instruments crashed to the floor.

"Stop it!" I said.

"People were tromping down the hall now, coming in our direction.

"Let's see you cover this up!" Kelli said.

Knowing her plan I capped riptide, quickly stuffed it into my pocket and snapped my fingers to work some Mist magic. Kelli flung the doors open and Paul Blofis and a bunch of freshmen came in. But when they did they were in a daze.

"That girl is trying to kill us and destroy the school! She's working for the man that kidnapped me when I was seven and again two years ago!" I responded using the first story that came to my mind.

Kelli snarled, "You'll pay for that Percy Jackson!"

Just as she said that, Kelli exploded into flames like a Molotov cocktail. Waves of fire splashed over everything. I'd never seen a monster do that before, but I didn't have time to wonder about that.

Thanks to Kelli's trick and my quick Mist Manipulation, everyone was running out of here in a panic. The fire alarm wailed. Ceiling sprinklers hissed to life.

"You use that Mist Manipulation thing, didn't you?" Rachel asked.

"Yeah, but now we need to get out of here," I responded.

She nodded and we sprinted for the broken band room window.

I burst out of the alley way onto East 81st and ran straight into Annabeth.

"Hey, you're early!" she laughed, grabbing my shoulders to keep me from tumbling into the street. "Watch where you're going, Seaweed Brain."

For a split second she was in a good mood and everything was fine. She was wearing jeans and an orange camp T-shirt and her clay bead necklace. Her blond hair was pulled back in a ponytail. Her gray eyes sparkled. She looked like she was ready to catch a movie, have a cool afternoon hanging out together.

Then Rachel Elizabeth Dare, still covered in monster dust, came charging out of the alley, yelling, "Percy, wait up!"

Annabeth's smile melted she stared at Rachel, then at the school. For the first time, she seemed to notice the black smoke and the ringing fire alarms.

"Annabeth, let me explained," I responded knowing all too well if I don't I'll have an angry daughter of Athena breathing down my back. I started explaining about what happened at the school and about Rachel's gift and about Hoover Dam last winter since the whole _spacti_ incident was related to why she followed me the band rom.

When I was done Annabeth sighed in frustration. "At least tell me you used the Mist on the Mortals?"

I nodded. "Paul and a bunch of other freshmen thinks that the Emposai are one of our former _kidnapper_ 's employees."

I didn't think that calmed her down, but at least I don't have to worry about Annabeth snapping at me later.

Police sirens wailed on FDR Drive.

"Percy," Annabeth said coldly, "We should go."

"I'll go back and come up for an excuse where Percy went," Rachel agreed. "I still want to know more about half-bloods, and monsters, and this stuff about the gods." She grabbed my arm, whipped out a permanent marker, and wrote a phone number on my hand. "You're going to call me and explain, okay? You owe me that. Now get going."

Rachel ran back toward the school, leaving Annabeth and me in the street.

Annabeth stared at me for a second. "You told a mortal girl about half-bloods?"

"She could see through the Mist," I responded. "What was I suppose to do?"

Annabeth wouldn't even look at me now, which means that I was in deep trouble with her.

"Look, I didn't mean for this to happen, or our afternoon to be ruined, but the _empousai_ said something about the camp burning," I responded.

Annabeth listened to that much at least as she sighed, "Then we better head back to camp. _Now_."


	2. Nico di Angelo Chats with a Hidden Ghost

**A/N:** Certain ancient Greek names matches words use of foul language but no foul language was intentionally used. Also if you haven't read them yet read 'The Tales of the Son of Poseidon & the Early Adventures' 'The Tales of the Son of Poseidon & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief' 'The Tales of the Son of Poseidon & the Olympians: The Sea of Monsters' and 'The Tales of the Son of Poseidon & the Olympians: The Titan's Curse' before reading this story. Lastly, any one who wants to do a Demigods and Olympian reads story using 'The Tales of the Son of Poseidon' is allowed _as long as_ you inform me about it.

* * *

 **Nico di Angelo Chats with a Hidden Ghost**

Nothing caps off the perfect morning like a long taxi ride with an angry girl.

I tried to talk to Annabeth, but all I got from her was that she'd had a monster-infested spring in San Francisco. I knew she came back to camp twice since winter due, but she wouldn't tell me why; and she'd learned nothing about the whereabouts of Nico di Angelo (long story).

"Any word on Luke?" I asked.

She shook her head. This was a touchy subject between the two of us, but I had to ask. Luke, son of Hermes and former cousellor for his dad who we thought we knew since we were seven, betrayed us and joined the evil Titan Lord Kronos. When we'd fought Luke on Mount Tamapais last winter, he'd somehow survived a fifty-foot fall off a cliff. Now, as far as I knew, he was still sailing around in his demon-infested cruise ship while his chopped-up Lord Kronos re-formed, bit by bit, in a golden sarcophagus, bidding his time until he had enough power to challenge the Olympian gods. In demigod-speak, we call this a "problem."

"Mount Tam is still overrun with monsters," Annabeth said. "I didn't dare go close, but I don't think Luke is up there. I think I would know if he is."

I nodded. "What about Grover?"

"He's at camp," she said. "We'll see him today."

"Did he have any luck with the search for Pan?"

Annabeth fingered her bead necklace, the way she does when she's worried.

"You'll see," she said. But she didn't explain.

As we headed through Brooklyn, I used Annabeth's phone to call my mom. Half-bloods try not to use cell phones if we can avoid it, because broadcasting our voices is like sending up a flare to the monsters: _Here I am! Please eat me now!_ But I figured this was important. I left a message on our home voice mail, trying to explain what _real_ happened at Goode. I made sure she knew I was fine, she shouldn't worry, but I was going to stay in camp until things settle down. I asked her to tell Paul Blofis I was sorry.

We rode in silence after that. The city melted away until we were off the expressway and rolling through the countryside of northern Long Island, past orchards and wineries and fresh produce stands.

I tried not to think about Rachel Elizabeth Dare's number written on my hand. I didn't think I should call her—not in the open. But still, I wonder what the deal with Kelli exploding into flames.

I thought of checking it out in Hal's book—basically an encyclopedia to the Greek Mythology—to see if it had something on it. I'm pretty sure Kelli wasn't destroyed since I never used Riptide on it.

The taxi exited Route 25A. We headed through the woods along the North Shore until a low ridge of hills appeared on our left. Annabeth told the driver to pull over on Farm Road 3.141, at the base of Half-Blood Hill.

The driver frowned. "There ain't nothing here, miss. You sure you want out?"

"Yes, please." Annabeth handed him a roll of mortal cash, and the driver decided not to argue.

Annabeth and I hiked to the crest of the hill. The young guardian dragon was dozing, coiling around the pine tree, but he lifted his coppery head as we approached and let Annabeth scratch under his chin. Steam hissed out his nostrils like from a teakettle, and he went cross-eyed with pleasure.

"Hey, Peleus," Annabeth said. "Keeping everything safe?"

The last time I'd seen the dragon, he'd been six feet long. Now he was at least twice that, and as thick as the tree itself. Above his head, on the lowest branch of the pine tree, the Golden Fleece shimmered, its magic protecting the camp's borders from invasion. The dragon seemed relaxed, like everything was okay. Below us, Camp Half-Blood looked peaceful—green fields, forest, shiny white Greek buildings. The four-story farmhouse we called the Big House sat proudly in the midst of the strawberry fields. To the north, past the beach, the Long Island Sound glittered in the sunlight.

Still… something felt wrong. There was tension in the air, as if the hill itself were holding its breath, waiting for something bad to happen.

We walked down into the valley and found the summer session in full swing. Most of the campers had arrived last Friday. The satyrs were playing their pipes in the strawberry fields, making the plants grow with woodland magic. Campers were having flying horseback lessons, swooping over the woods on their pegasi. Smoke rose from the forges, and hammers rang as kids made their own weapons for Arts and Crafts. The Athena and Demeter teams were having a chariot race around the track, and over at the canoe lake some kids in a Greek trireme were fighting a large orange sea serpent. A typical day at camp.

"I need to talk to Clarisse," Annabeth said.

"What do for?" I asked.

"We've been working on something," Annabeth said.

Clarisse from the Ares cabin was one of my least favorite people. Up until last winter she was a mean, ungrateful bully. It didn't help that her dad, the war god, wanted to kill me. But from the short time I was in Camp Half-Blood after the winter solstice—after Clarisse had returned from her top-secret quest, she had changed. Still for Clarisse and Annabeth working together on a project usually means something is up.

Annabeth glanced toward the forest.

"I'll tell Chiron you're here," she said. "He'll want to talk to you before the hearing. I'll see you then."

"What hearing?" I asked.

But she jogged down the path toward the archery field without looking back.

"Right," I responded. "See you then, I guess."

…

As I made my way through camp, I said hi to some of my friends. In the Big House's driveway, Connor and Travis Stoll from the Hermes cabin were hot-wiring the camp's SUV. Silena Beauregard, head counsellor for Aphrodite, waved at me from her Pegasus as she flew past. I looked for Grover, but I didn't see him. Finally I wandered to the sword arena, where I usually go when I'm either in a bad ood or need a place to think. Practicing always calms me down.

I walked into the amphitheater and my heart almost stopped. In the middle of the arena floor, with its back to me was a hellhound the size of a tank.

I haven't seen a hellhound this big since I was seven, when one attacked me while I was at my playground waiting for my former stepfather Gabe. I had no idea how it had gotten past the camp's magic boundaries. It looked right at home, lying on its belly, growling contentedly as it chewed the head off a combat dummy. It hadn't noticed me yet, but if I made a sound, I knew it would sense me. There was no time to go for help. I pulled out Riptide and uncapped it.

"Yaaaaah!" I charged. I brought down the blade on the monster's enormous backside when out of nowhere another sword block my strike.

CLANG!

The hellhound pricked up its ears. _"WOOF!"_

I jumped back and instinctively struck at the swordsman—a gray-haired man in Greek armor. He parried my attack with no problem.

"Whoa there!" he said. "Truce!"

 _"WOOF!"_ The hellhound barked shook the arena.

"That's a hellhound!" I shouted.

"She's harmless," the man said. "That's Mrs. O'Leary."

I blinked as the name sounded familiar. "Mrs. O'Leary?"

At the sound of her name, the hellhound barked again. I realized she wasn't angry. She was excited. She nudged the soggy, badly chewed target dummy toward the swordsman.

Now that I think about it, Mrs. O'Leary was the name that mystery man called the Hellhound that attacked me. And now that I think about it further, the hellhound back then might have not really attacked me. I learned that when Hellhounds attack, they normally go straight for the kill, but the one that jumped on me when I was seven didn't do that. It could be that if this hellhound was the same one, it probably just pounce on me to play with me, but I was too scared at the time to realize the difference.

The swordsman smiled dryly. He was in his fifties, I guess, with short gray hair and a clipped beard. He was in a good shape for an older guy. He wore black mountain-climbing pants and a bronze breastplate strapped over an orange camp T-shirt. At the base of his neck was a strange mark, a purplish blotch like a birthmark or a tattoo, but before I could make out what it was, he shifted his armor straps and the mark disappeared under his color. Even without it though, I was able realized where I seen him before.

"You're that guy!" I responded.

The man seemed to tensed when I said that. "Which one kid?" the man asked.

"Eight years ago, a hellhound the same size as yours pounced on me while I was waiting for my ex-stepfather. I thought it was going to kill me when some man called it off me," I responded. "I only got a glance at him before I ran away, but—it was you wasn't it?"

The man seemed to eased as he smiled. "You know, I do remember Mrs. O'Leary trying to play with a little kid eight years ago while we were visiting Manhattan. But the poor kid was so scared he ran off before I could check on him. So you were that boy, huh? Well, I must say I'm please to hear that not only survive but made it to camp—"

"Percy Jackson," I responded.

"Percy. My name is Quintus by the way."

"If you mind me asking, how did you get a hellhound for a pet?" I asked.

"I don't mind, since you're not the first to ask. It's a long story, involving many close calls with death and quiet a few giant chew toys. I'm here to help around while Mr. D is away."

"Oh." I tried not to stare as Mrs. O'Leary ripped off the target dummy's shield with arms still attached and shook it like a Frisbee. I wasn't shock that Mr. D was gone. The Olympians been working over time since the winter solstice.

"I was actually hoping to be the sword instructor, but Chiron told me that position was filled by a young counsellor that hasn't return to camp yet," Quintus explained.

I blushed as I said, "Uh—that would be me. I mean—I'm the sword instructor. Sorry."

Quintus looked at me a little shock. "You?"

"I use to have a partner to help me instruct the class, but these days I teach it on my own," I responded, "But I don't mind having a partner again. And who knows, you might be able to teach me some moves I don't know."

Quintus smiled even more. "Sure, Percy. I'll take up on your offer."

We shook on it.

Off to my left, there was a loud _BUMP_. Six wooden crates the size of picnic tables were stacked nearby, and they were rattling. Mrs. O'Leary cocked her head and bound toward them.

"Whoa, girl!" Quintus said. "Those aren't for you." He distracted her with a bronze shield Frisbee.

The crates thumped and shook. There were words printed on the sides but with my dyslexia they took me a few minutes to decipher:

TRIPLE G RANCH  
FRAGILE  
THIS END UP

Along the bottom, in smaller letters: OPEN WITH CARE. TRIPLE G RANCH IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR PROPERTY DAMAGE, MAIMING OR EXCRUCIATINGLY PAINFUL DEATHS.

"What's in the boxes?" I asked.

"A little surprise," Quintus said. "Training activity for tomorrow night. You'll love it."

"Uh, okay," I said, though I wasn't sure about the "excruciatingly painful death" part.

Quintus threw the bronze shield, and Mrs. O'Leary lumbered after it. "You young ones need more challenges. They didn't have camps like this when I was a boy."

"You—you're a half-blood?"

Quintus chuckled. "Some of us _do_ survive into adulthood, you know."

"Yeah, I know it's just—the last adult demigod I met that didn't try to kill me—he sacrificed himself to help my friends and me escape," I responded.

"I see," Quintus said.

Just then Chiron clip-clopped into the arena. "Percy, there you are!"

He must've just come from teaching archery. He had a quiver and bow slung over his #CENTAUR T-shirt. He'd trimmed his curly brown hair and beard for the summer, and his lower half, which was a white stallion, was flecked with mud and grass.

"I see you've met our assistant activities director Quintus." Chiron's tone was light, but there was an uneasy look in his eyes. "Quintus, do you mind if I borrow Percy?"

"Not at all, Master Chiron."

"No need to call me 'Master,'" Chiron said, though he sounded sort of pleased. "Come, Percy. We have much to discuss."

I took one more glance at Mrs. O'Leary, who was now chewing off the target dummy leg. Despite the fact that I _now_ know it didn't really try to kill me, I'm not going to say I'm cool with the idea of having one in camp. But if I can get use to having a Cyclops for a brother, I guess I can get use to this.

"Well, see you," I told Quintus.

As we were walking away, I whispered to Chiron, "Quintus seems kind of—"

"Mysterious?" Chiron suggested. "Hard to read?"

"Yeah."

Chiron nodded. "A very qualified half-blood. Excellent swordsman, he seemed to have high hopes to be the sword instructor."

"I told him he can help me teach," I responded.

"That probably make his day," Chiron said. "I just wish I understood…"

Whatever he was going to say, he apparently changed his mind, "First things first, Percy. Annabeth told me you met some _emposai_."

"Yeah." I told him about the fight at Goode, and how Kelli had exploded into flames.

"Mm," Chiron said. "The more powerful ones can do that. You're right Percy, she did not die. She simply escaped. It is not good that the she-demons are stirring, but at least you pulled one over the mortals before she could.

"What were they doing there?" I asked. "Waiting for me?"

"Possibly." Chiron frowned. "Their powers of deception… almost any male hero would've fallen under their spell and been devoured."

"I tried to avoid eye contact and I had Rachel's help," I agreed.

Chiron nodded. "Avoiding eye contact is clever. As for the mortal, it seems we owe her a debt. What the _empousa_ said about an attack on camp—we must seak of this further. But for now, come, we should get to the woods. Grover will want you there for his formal hearing."

"What do you mean?" I asked.

Chiron nodded grimly and said. "The Council of Cloven Elders is meeting now to decide his fate."

Chiron said we needed to hurry, so I let him give me a ride on his back. As we galloped past the cabins.

Chiron plunged into the woods. Nymphs peeked out of the trees to watch us pass. Large shapes rustled in the shadows—monsters that were stocked in here as a challenge to the campers.

I thought I knew the forest pretty well after playing capture the flag here during the five years I was a full-time camper and the two summers as a summer session camper, but Chiron took me a way that I haven't been through since Grover's last hearing after Thalia was turned into a tree almost eight years ago. We went through a tunnel of old willow trees, past a little waterfall, and into a glade blanketed with wildflowers.

A bunch of satyrs were sitting in a circle in the grass. Grover stood in the middle, facing three really old, really fat satyrs who sat on topiary thrones shaped out of rose bushes—the Council of Cloven Elders.

Grover seemed to be telling them a story. He twisted the bottom of his T-shirt, shifting nervously on his goat hooves. He hadn't changed much since last winter due to satyrs age half as fast as humans. His acne had flared up. His horns had gotten a little bigger so thy just stuck out over his curly hair. I realized with a start that I was taller than he was now.

Standing off to one side of the circle were Annabeth, another girl I'd never seen before and Clarisse. Chiron dropped me next to them.

Clarisse's stringy brown hair was tied back with a camouflage bandanna. If possible, she looked even bugger, like she'd been working out. She glared at me and muttered, "Punk," which usually means she was in a good mood.

Annabeth had her arm around the other girl, who looked like she'd been crying. She was small—petite, I guess you'd call it—with wispy hair the color of amber and a pretty, elfish face. She wore a green chiton and laced sandals, and she was dabbing her eyes with handkerchief. I could tell she was a wood nymph—a dryad—with her slightly pointed ears, and her eyes being tinted green from crying. "It's going terribly," she sniffled.

"No, no." Annabeth patted her shoulder. "He'll be fine, Juniper."

Annabeth looked at me and mouthed the words _Grover's girlfriend_.

At first I was surprised, but then I smiled as I thought, _So Grover finally has a girlfriend. Good for him!_

Grover been my best friend since we escorted Thalia Luke Annabeth and me to camp, and I always try my best to help him out, even requested him to be my protector for a second chance for the searcher's license so he can follow his dream of finding the missing Lord of the Wild: Pan.

"Master Underwood!" the council member on the right shouted, cutting off whatever Grover was trying to say. "Do you seriously expect us to believe this?"

"B-but Silenus," Grover stammered.

The Council satyr, Silenus, turned to his colleagues and muttered something. Chiron cantered up to the front and stood next to them. I remembered he was an honorary member of the council, but I'd never thought about it much. The elders didn't look impressive. They had huge bellies, sleepy expressions, and glazed eyes that couldn't see past the next handful of goat chow. And yet they were Grover's bosses—personally appointed by Lord Dionysus himself, or so they say.

Silenus tugged his yellow polo shirt over his belly and adjusted himself on his rosebush throne. "Master Underwood, for six months— _six months_ —we have been hearing these scandalous claims that you heard the wild god Pan speak."

I clenched my fist. After I came home last winter—failing to get word from Nico, I got an empathy dream from a frantic Grover. He told me that Pan spoke to him, saying: _I await you_. Ever since then he been going crazy trying to find Pan.

"But I did!"

"Impudence!" said the elder on the left.

"Now, Maron," Chiron said. "Patience."

"Patience, indeed!" Maron said. "I've had it up to my horns with this nonsense. As if the wild god would speak to… to _him_."

Juniper looked like she wanted to charge the old satyr and beat him up, but Annabeth and Clarisse held her back. "Wrong fight, girlie," Clarisse muttered. "Wait."

Clarisse holding somebody back from a fight, that's another first for me.

"For six months," Silenus continued, "we have indulged you, Master Underwood. We let you travel. We allow you to keep your searcher's license. We waited for you to bring proof of your preposterous claim. And what have you found in six months of travel?"

"I need more time," Grover pleaded.

"Nothing!" the elder in the middle chimed in. "You have found nothing."

"But, Leneus—"

Silenus raised his hand. Chiron leaned in and said something to the satyrs. The satyrs didn't look happy. They muttered and argued among themselves, but Chiron said something else, and Silenus sighed. He nodded reluctantly.

"Master Underwood," Silenus announced, "we will give you one more chance."

Grover brightened. "Thank you!"

"One more week."

"What? But, sir! That's impossible!"

"One more week, Master Underwood. And then, if you cannot prove your claims, it will be time for you to pursue another career. Something to suit your dramatic talents. Puppet theater, perhaps. Or tap dancing."

"But, sir, I—can't lose my searcher's license. My whole life—"

"This meeting of the council is adjourned," Silenus said. "And now let us enjoy our noonday meal!"

The old satyr clapped his hands, and a bunch of nymphs melted out of the trees with platters of vegetables, fruits, tin cans, and other goat delicacies. The circle of satyrs broke and charged the food. Grover walked dejectedly toward us. His faded blue T-shirt had a picture of a satyr on it. It read GOT HOOVES?

"Hi, Percy," he said, so depressed he didn't even offer to shake my hand. "That went well, huh?"

"Those old goats!" Juniper shook her head. "Oh, Grover, they don't know how hard you've tried!"

"That's right, besides I bet none of them could say they found children of each of the Big Three," I responded, "You got the heart of a true searcher, and Pan probably knows it. He's probably waiting for you to find him right now, you just need to find a way to find him."

"There is one option," Clarisse said darkly.

"No. No." Juniper shook her head. "Grover, I won't let you."

His face was ashen. "I—I'll have to think about it. But we don't even know where to look."

"What's the option?" I asked.

In the distance, a conch horn sounded.

Annabeth pursed her lips. "I'll fill you in later, Percy. We'd better get back to our cabins. Inspection is starting."

…

I just arrive in camp and now I have to worry about cabin inspections. So, not cool! But that's the way camp works. Every afternoon, one of the senior counselors came around with a papyrus scroll checklist. Best cabin got the first shower hour, which meant hot water guaranteed. Worst cabin got kitchen patrol after dinner. Inspection day is also the only time when senior counsellors are allowed to enter occupied cabins—except for Artemis' Cabin when the hunters are visiting), but only for inspections and nothing else.

The problem for me: I was usually the only one in Poseidon's cabin, and I'm not exactly what you call neat. The only stuff I have organized is the loose floorboard where I keep my secret stash of stuff that I keep in camp hidden from the cleaning harpies: the book I got from Hal, a figurine of Hades, some sand dollars that I get for birthday and Christmas from my dad Poseidon. However, the cleaning harpies only cleans the cabins up at the end of summer sessions, so my cabin is probably as cluttered as I left it last winter break: candy wrappers and chip bags on my bunk, my armor for capture the flag on the floor.

I raced towards the common area, where the twelve cabins—one for each Olympian god—made a U around the central green. Katie Gardner: daughter of Demeter and her siblings were sweeping out theirs and making fresh flowers grow in their window boxes. Just by snapping their fingers they could make honeysuckle vines bloom over their doorway and daisies cover their roof. Along with Aphrodite's children, Katie and her siblings _never_ got last place.

The guys in Hermes cabin were scrambling around in a panic, stashing dirty laundry under their beds and accusing each other of taking stuff. Most senior campers normally cut Hermes Cabin slack due to their large numbers, but not enough for them to be spared of last place. Only way for their cabin to lose is if by some miracle another cabin turns out worse than theirs. However, I'm not going to slack off before my inspections, because if there was a tie in last place, both of the cabins tied last gets kitchen duty.

Over at the Aphrodite cabin, Silena Beauregard was just coming out, checking items off the inspections scroll. I muttered some incoherent words under my breath. Silena is one of my friends since she is one of the few children of Aphrodite that's nice to everyone around her, but like the rest of her siblings, she's an absolute neat freak. She liked things to be pretty and I don't do "pretty."

The Poseidon cabin was at the end of the row of "male god" cabins on the right side of the green. It was made of gray shell-encrusted sea rock, long and low like a bunker, but it had windows that faced the sea and it always had a good breeze blowing through it that reminded me of my family summer cabin Montauk.

I dashed inside, hoping I can at least throw away the candy wrappers and chip bags, and I found my adopted/half-brother Tyson sweeping the floor.

With what happened at Goode, seeing the hellhound that pounced me when I was seven and the man that I thought saved me, Grover's hearing, and finding out about the surprise inspections, I've completely forgot that one of the things I been looking forward this year was seeing Tyson got the summer off from his internship at the forges of the cyclops to spend time at camp and visit our mom.

"Percy!" he bellowed. He dropped his broom and ran at me. If you've never been charged by an enthusiastic Cyclops wearing a flowered apron and rubber cleaning gloves, I'm telling you, it'll wake you up quick.

"Hey, big guy!" I said. "Ow, watch the ribs. The ribs."

I managed to survive his bear hug. He put me down, grinning like crazy, his single calf-brown eye full of excitement. His teeth were as yellow and crooked as ever, and his hair was a rat's nest. He wore XXXL jeans and t-shirt my mom and I bought him last year under his flowered apron that looked like they been burnt and torn, but I guess that was expected from someone who been working in the forges.

"You okay?" he asked. "Not eaten by monsters?"

"Not even a little," I showed him that I still had both arms and both legs, and Tyson clapped happily.

"Yay!" he said. "Now we can eat peanut butter sandwiches and ride fish ponies! We can fight monsters and see Annabeth and make things go BOOM!"

"Sure thing, big guy," I responded "But first, we've gotta worry about inspection. We should…"

Then I looked around and realized Tyson had been busy. The floor was swept. The bunk beds were made. The saltwater fountain in the corner had been freshly scrubbed so the coral gleamed. On the windowsills, Tyson had set out water-filled vases with sea anemones and strange glowing plants from the bottom of the ocean, more beautiful than any flower bouquets the Demeter kids could whip up.

"Tyson, the cabin looks… amazing!"

He beamed. "See the fish ponies? I put them on the ceiling!"

A heard of miniature bronze hippocampi hung on wires from the ceiling, so it looked like they were swimming through the air. I couldn't believe Tyson, with his huge hands, could make things so delicate.

"I also organized brother's secret stash," Tyson said. "Is that okay?"

"it's okay, Tyson. I don't mind," I responded, "I wouldn't have shown you were it was if I didn't want you through it after all."

Tyson smiled as I looked over to my bunk, and I saw my old shield hanging on the wall.

"You fixed it!"

The shield had been badly damaged in a manticore attack last winter, but now it was perfect again—not a scratch. All the bronze pictures of my adventures with Tyson and Annabeth in the Sea of Monsters along with the picture of Thalia Luke Annabeth and me almost eight years ago (he sketched in it into the shield knowing how special the photo was too me) were polished and gleaming.

I looked at Tyson, I didn't know how to thank him.

Then somebody behind me said, "Oh, my."

Silena Beauregard was standing in the doorway with her inspection scroll. She stepped into the cabin, did a quick twirl, then raised her eyebrows at me. "Well, I had my doubts. But you finally cleaned up nicely, Percy."

"Actually credit goes to Tyson," I said realizing this is a good way to thank him as I pat my baby brother on the back, "He had the place cleaned long before I got here."

"Really?" Silena looked at Tyson impressed, "Nice work, Tyson. Maybe you can give your brother some tips on cleaning for now on."

If it was from any other child of Aphrodite, I would think they were teasing Tyson, but Silena gave him a friendly smile that told me otherwise as she left the room.

…

Tyson and I spent the afternoon catching up and hanging out, which was nice after a morning of getting attack by _empousa_.

We went down to the forge and helped Beckendorf from the Hephaestus cabin with his metal working. Tyson showed us how he'd learned to craft magic weapons. He fashioned a flaming double-blade war axe so fast even Beckendorf was impressed.

While he worked, Tyson told us about his year under the sea. His eye lit up when he described the Cyclopes' forges and the palace of Poseidon, but he also told us how tense things were. The old gods of the sea, who'd ruled during the Titan times, were starting to make war on our father. When Tyson had left, battles had been raging all over the Atlantic. Hearing that made me feel anxious, I wanted to out, but Tyson assured me that Dad wanted us both at camp and wanted Tyson to see Mom since she's was part of Tyson's family.

"Lots of bad people above sea, too," Tyson said. "We can make them go boom."

After the forges, we spent some time at the canoe lake with Annabeth. She was really glad to see Tyson, but I could tell she was distracted. She kept looking over at the forest, like she was thinking about Grover's problem with the council. I couldn't blame her. Grover was nowhere to be seen, and I felt really bad for him. Finding the lost god Pan had been his lifelong goal. His father had disappeared and his uncle was turned into stone by Medusa following the same dream. And after the message Grover received from Pan, he been really desperate. But apparently his search had led nowhere. If the council took away his searcher's license now, it would crush him.

"What this 'way'?" I asked Annabeth. "The thing Clarisse mentioned?"

She picked up a stone and skipped it across the lake. "Something Clarisse scouted out. I helped her a little this spring. But it would be dangerous. Especially for Grover."

"Goat boy scares me," Tyson murmured.

I stared at him. Tyson had faced down fire-breathing bulls and sea monsters and cannibal giants. The only other monster I know of he was scared of was a sphinx, and that I can understand. "Why would you be scared of Grover?"

"Hooves and horns," Tyson muttered nervously. "And goat fur makes my nose itchy."

And that pretty much ended our Grover conversation.

Before dinner, Tyson and I went down to the sword arena. Quintus was glad to have company. He still wouldn't tell me what was in the wooden crates, but he did agreed to a friendly sword fight—with no intentional maiming or killing—so we can feel each other out. The guy was good. He fought the way some people play chess—like he was putting all the moves together and you couldn't see the patern until he made the last stroke and won with a sword at your throat.

I tried a disarming technique which he blocked.

"Good try," he said as he lunged and I blocked.

"I take it you're a son of Athena?" I asked.

Quintus was shocked at first but he didn't let his guard down.

"I been best friends with a daughter of Athena. We knew each other since we were seven, and I know she tends to think things through, even in battle, sort of like how you're doing right now," I responded.

Quintus smiled. "Well, I once was a son of Athena."

"What happened?" I asked.

"I did something that angered my mother to the point she disowned me," Quintus replied.

I frowned a bit when I heard that. The gods aren't know to disown their own kids unless they did something terrible.

Quintus jabbed and I side stepped. His shoulder strap slipped, and I saw that mark on his neck—the purple blotch. But it wasn't a random mark. It had a definite shape—a bird with folded wings, like a quail or something.

My ADHD kicked in as I asked, "What's that on your neck?"

Quintus lost his rhythm. I hit his sword hilt with my blade and twisted it, forcing the sword out of his hand and clattered on the ground.

He rubbed his fingers. Then he shifted his armor to hide the mark. It wasn't a tattoo, I realized. It was an old burn… like he'd been branded.

"A reminder." He picked up his word and forced a smile. "Now, shall we go again?"

He pressed me hard, not giving me time for any more questions.

While he and I fought, Tyson played with Mrs. O'Leary, who he called the "little doggie." They had a great time wrestling for bronze shield and playing Get the Greek. By sunset, Quintus hadn't even broken a sweat, which seemed kind of strange; but Tyson and I were hot and sticky, so we hit the showers and got ready for dinner.

I was feeling good. It was almost like a normal day at camp. Then dinner came, and all the campers lined up by cabin and marched into the dining pavilion. Tyson and I passed by a fissure that wasn't there last summer. I'm guessing that was where Nico send the spacti to tartarus.

"Big crack," Tyson said as we headed to our table. "Earthquake, maybe?"

"No," I said. "Not an earthquake."

Tyson gave me a questioning look.

"Nico di Angelo," I replied. "He's this half-blood kid we brought to camp with his sister last winter. It turned out both were children of Hades—"

"God of dead people?" Tyson asked.

I nodded. "Cause of it while Bianca was with us on a quest and got treated as a hero, Nico was treated like an outcast. There some skeleton attack, and well, he send them away and he disappeared."

"So the Nico boy is gone now?"

"Yeah, but we need to bring him back," I responded. "His life is in danger."

"Because of the bad prophecy," Tyson said. "Titans might use him if they get him."

I stared at him Sometimes it was easy to forget that as young as he really was—which is eight years old by naw—Tyson was pretty smart. He knew that the next child of the Big Three gods—Zeus, Poseidon, or Hades—who turned sixteen was prophesied to either save or destroy Mount Olympus. Most people assume it meant me, but if I died before I turned sixteen, since Bianca is now immortalize at the age of twelve by joining the Hunters of Artemis, the prophecy could just as easily apply to Nico.

"Exactly," I responded, "But most importantly we need to make him feel welcome and part of a family. It would be hard with how the camp treated him, but I know if we give him a chance, like everyone gave you a chance, he can show them he's not a bad guys."

"Then I would treat Nico as a brother!" Tyson said.

I nodded in approval. "That might work. Especially since Nico shouldn't have a reason to hold a grudge against you. Especially since children of Hades have a fatal flaw of holding grudges."

That night I had trouble falling asleep. I lay in bed listening to the saves on the beach and the owls and monsters in the woods. I was afraid once I drifted off I'd have nightmares.

See, for half-bloods, dreams are hardly ever just dreams. We get visions of things that are happening to our friends or enemies. Sometimes we even glimpse the past or the future. And at camp, my dreams were always more frequent and vivid. But I have trying to learn how to control my visions, trying to use them to find information on Nico.

Finally I decided to risk it and fall asleep hoping that this time that I can find him, and either with luck or Morpheus: God of dreams felt generous because I had a dream of Nico.

..

I was at the dark shore of a river. Wisps of fog drifted across black water. The beach strewn with jagged volcanic rock. A young boy squatted at the riverbank, tending a campfire. The flames burned an unnatural blue color. Then I saw the boy's face. It was Nico di Angelo. He was throwing pieces of paper into the fire—Mythomagic trading cards, part of the game he'd been obsessed with last winter.

Nico was only ten, or maybe eleven by now, but he looked older. His hair had grown longer. It was shaggy and almost touched his shoulders. For the first time I noticed that his eyes were dark—almost like his father's. His olive skin had turned paler. He wore ripped black jeans and battered aviator's jacket that was several sizes too big, unzipped over a black shirt. His face was grimy, his eyes a little wild. He looked like a kid who'd been living on the streets.

Nico tossed another trading card into the blue flames. "Useless," he muttered. "I can't believe I ever liked this stuff."

My heart torn. I told Nico Mythomagic game was nothing like the real deal, but if it makes him feel normal he should keep playing, but seeing him burn his cards looked like he gave up on trying to be normal.

"A childish game, master," another voice agreed. It seemed to come from near the fire, but I couldn't see who was talking.

Nico stared across the river. On the far shore was the black beach shrouded in haze. I recognized it: the Underworld. Nico was camping at the edge of the River of Styx.

 _Well, at least he's not with the Titan Lord,_ I thought.

I had hopes that Nico was with his father, or at least in his father's domain. Sure I want to bring Nico back, but right now, Nico being with Hades or in the Underworld is better than being with Kronos.

"Why won't she respond? I don't get it!" Nico said.

"Your sister has chosen her path," The voice said. "She has betrayed you and your father."

My eyes widened. They were talking about Bianca, but didn't betray anyone.

Nico's face darkened. "No! Bianca wouldn't do that!"

"I only speak the truth, my master, but there is a way to make things right yourself."

Nico turned in doubt. "What do you mean?"

"You must get justice out of the one who has cheated death."

Nico frowned. "That would mean killing someone."

"Only the one who cheated death," the ghost repeated.

"I don't know—" Nico responded

"I'll _help_ you," the ghost promised. "Have I not saved you many times? Did I not lead you through the maze and teach you to use your powers? Do you want to get even at those that hurt you?"

I didn't like the ghost's tone of voice. He was manipulating Nico, using his own fatal flaw against him, and I know what that's like.

Nico tured from the fire so the ghost couldn't see him, but I could. A tear traced its way down his face. "Very well. You have a plan?"

"Oh, yes," the ghost said, sounding quite pleased. "We have many dark roads to travel, but first we need some information."

 _NO!_ I yelled wanting to stop them but my dream faded out.

…

I woke with a start. Tyson was looking over me. "You okay Percy?" Tyson asked.

"Yeah," I responded. But it was a lie. I wasn't fine. Nico had gotten himself in trouble, and if I don't do something, he will get himself killed without even joining Kronos.


	3. We Play War Games with Scorpions

**A/N:** Certain ancient Greek names matches words use of foul language but no foul language was intentionally used. Also if you haven't read them yet read 'The Tales of the Son of Poseidon & the Early Adventures' 'The Tales of the Son of Poseidon & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief' 'The Tales of the Son of Poseidon & the Olympians: The Sea of Monsters' and 'The Tales of the Son of Poseidon & the Olympians: The Titan's Curse' before reading this story. Lastly, any one who wants to do a Demigods and Olympian reads story using 'The Tales of the Son of Poseidon' is allowed _as long as_ you inform me about it.

* * *

 **We Play War Games with Scorpions**

The next morning there was a lot of excitement at breakfast.

Apparently around three in the morning an Aethiopian Drakon had been spotted at the borders of camp. I guess I was so exhausted while trying to learn about Nico, I slept through the noise. The magical boundaries had kept the monster out, but it prowled the hills, looking for weak spots in our defenses, and it didn't seem anxious to go away until Lee Fletcher from Apollo's cabin led a couple of his siblings in pursuit. After a few dozen arrows lodged in the chinks of the drakon's armor, it got the message and withdrew.

"It's still out there," Lee warned us during announcements. "Twenty arrows in its hide, and we just made it mad. The thing was thirty feet long and bright green. Its eyes—" He shuddered.

"You did well, Lee." Chiron patted him on the shoulder. "Everyone stay alert, but stay calm. This has happened before."

"Aye," Quintus said from the head table. "And it will happened again. More and more frequently."

The campers murmured among themselves.

Everyone knew the rumors: Luke and his army of monsters were planning an invasion of the camp. Most of us expected it to happen this summer, but no one knew how or when. It didn't help that our attendance was down. We only had about eighty campers. Three years ago, there had been more than a hundred. Some had died. Some had joined Luke. Some had just disappeared.

It's also no secret that because of it that the Hunters agreed to allied with the Campers and help us fight when we need it most. Despite the rivalry the campers had with the Hunters of Artemis, it has put many of our minds at ease. Good portion of the Hunters had hundreds to thousands of year of experience. Only just last year we manage to beat then in a game of Capture the Flag, and that's because we combined Attack plan Macedonia with the element of surprise.

"This is a good reason for new war games," Quintus continued, a glint in his eyes. "We'll see how you all do with that tonight."

"Yes…" Chiron said. "Well, enough announcements. Let us bless this meal and eat." He raised his goblet. "To the gods!"

We all raised our glasses and repeated the blessing.

Tyson and I took our plates to the bronze brazier and scraped a portion of our food into the flames. I hoped the gods liked raisin toast and Fruit Loops.

"Poseidon," I said. Then I whispered, "Help me with my problems here, if you can."

I headed back to my table.

Once everyone was eating, Chiron and Grover came over to visit. Grover was bleary-eyed. His shirt was inside out. He slid his plate onto the table and slumped next to me.

Tyson shifted uncomfortably. "I will go… um… polish my fish ponies.

He lumbered off, leaving his breakfast half eaten.

Chiron tried to smile. He probably wanted to look reassuring, but in centaur form he towered over me, casting a shadow across the table. "Well, Percy, how did you sleep?"

"Uh, fine." I wondered if I should told him about my dream vision.

"I brought Grover over," Chiron said, "because I thought you two might want to, ah, discuss matters. Now if you'll excuse me, I have some Iris-messages to send. I'll see you later in the day." He gave Grover a meaningful look, then trotted out of the pavilion.

"What's he talking about?" I asked Grover.

Grover chewed his eggs. I could tell he was distracted, because he bit off the times of his fork and chew those down, too. "He wants you to convince me," he mumbled.

Somebody else slid next to me on the bench: Annabeth.

"I'll tell you what it's about," she said. "The Labyrinth."

Everybody in the dining pavilion was stealing glances at us and whispering about Annabeth sitting right next to me, but I ignored them.

Demigod campers weren't allowed to switch tables. We are only allow to sit with their cabins. That's why I know this was something of great importance otherwise Annabeth wouldn't be here. Quintus looked over and raised an eyebrow but I nod at him reinsuring him it was okay—for now.

Then I thought back about what Annabeth just said. Only one labyrinth came to my mind that might help.

"Wait you mean— _The_ Labyrinth?" I asked, "As in the former holding place of the Minotaur?"

Annabeth nodded. "That's what Clarisse and I have been investigating."

I heard stories about the Labyrinth, and not just the one about the Minotaur and my half-brother Theseus. See, just as Olympus moved west during the western civilization, so has everything else linked with it moved too. But the Labyrinth was different. It been growing under the surface of the mortal world for years, lacing its way under Western cities, connecting everything together underground. You can literally go anywhere through it, that's if you can find your way through it.

"No way! I could die down there!" Grover responded.

"There must be away to survive down there," Annabeth said, "Clarisse did."

"Barely!" Grover said. "And the other guy—"

"He was driven insane. He didn't die."

"Oh, joy." Grover's lower lip quivered. "That makes me feel much better."

"Wait, what other guy?" I asked.

Annabeth glanced over toward Ares table. Clarisse was watching us like she knew what we were talking about, but then she fixed her eyes on her breakfast plate.

"Last year," Annabeth said, lowering her voice, "Clarisse went on a mission for Chiron."

"I remember. She was still MIA before we went on the quest to save you and Artemis," I responded, "It was supposed to be a secret quest."

Annabeth nodded. "It was secret because she found Chris Rodriguez."

"Seriously?" I asked. I remembered him from helping him trying to gain Hermes' recognition to be claimed, until last year when we'd found out he had joined Luke's army when we found him on the _Pricess Andromeda_.

"Seriously," Annabeth said. "Last summer he just appeared in Phoenix, Arizona, near Clarisse's mom's house. He was wondering around the desert, in a hundred and twenty degrees, in full Greek armor, babbling about string."

"String," I said finding myself looking at the head table where Dionysus would sit if he was here, "Ariadne's string?"

Annabeth shrugged. "He'd been driven completely insane. Clarisse brought him back to her mom's house so the mortals wouldn't institutionalize him. She tried to nurse him back to health. Chiron came out and interviewed him, but it wasn't much good. The only thing they got out of him: Luke's men have been exploring the labyrinth. If what he said is true, it's possible the string he was referring to Ariadne's string."

I shivered, though I wasn't sure exactly why. Poor Chris… he hadn't been that bad guy. What could've driven him mad? I looked at Grover, who was chewing the rest of his fork.

"So, I take it you were let on about the quest because of your love of Architects?" I asked.

Annabeth nodded trying not to blush. "The Labyrinth is one of my favorite actually, the designer Daedalus was a genius. Anyways it's nothing against you Percy, but Chiron wanted to keep the number of people who knew about the quest short in order to prevent a panic. The entrances of the Labyrinth is everywhere, and if Luke could figure out how to navigate it, he could move his army around with incredible speed."

"But it's full of horrible traps," Grover said, "Dead ends. Illusions. Psychotic goat killing monsters."

"But not if you had Ariadne's string," Annabeth argued. "It was a navigational instrument of some kind, invented by Daedalus given to Ariadne who gave it to Theseus so he could escape."

"So Luke is trying to find Ariadne's string, and use it to invade the camp"—I stopped cold as an idea went in my head, one that involved Nico—"you think there could be an entrance in camp?"

Annabeth shook her head. "I don't know. The closest entrances Clarisse could find was in Manhattan. If there is, we haven't found it."

"But Nico has," I responded. "Remember? He disappeared without a trace last winter."

Annabeth studied me. "Maybe he has, but it does us little good. Clarisse tried to explore a little way into the tunnels, but… it was very dangerous. She had some close calls. I researched everything I could find about Daedalus. I'm afraid it didn't help much. But it might be the key to Grover's problem."

I blinked. "You think Pan is underground?"

"It would explain why he's been impossible to find."

Grover shuddered. "Satyrs hate going underground. No searcher would ever try going in _that_ place. No flowers. No sunshine. No coffee shops!"

"But," Annabeth said, "the Labyrinth can lead you almost anywhere. It reads your thoughts. It was design to fool you, to trick you and kill you; but if you can make the Labyrinth work _for_ you—"

"It could lead you to the wild god," I said.

"I can't do it." Grover hugged his stomach. "Just thinking about it makes me want to throw up my silverware."

"Grover, it may be your last chance," Annabeth said. "The council is serious. _One_ week or you learn to tap dance!"

Over at the head table, Quintus cleared his throat. I got the feeling he didn't want to make a scene, but Annabeth was really pushing her luck at this point.

"We'll talk later." Annabeth squeezed my arm a little too hard. "Convince him, will you?"

She returned to the Athena's table, ignoring all the people who were staring at her.

Grover buried his head in his hands. "I can't do it, Percy. My searcher's license. Pan. I'm going to lose it all. I'll have to start a puppet theater."

"Don't say that! We'll figure something out."

He looked at me teary-eyed. "Percy, you're my best friend. You've seen me underground. In that Cyclops' cave. Do you really think I could…"

His voice faltered. I remembered the Sea of Monsters, when he'd been stuck in a Cyclops' cave. He'd never liked underground places to begin with, but now Grover really hated them. Cyclopes gave him the creeps, too. Even Tyson… Grover tried to hid it, but Grover and I could sort of read each other's emotions because of our empathy link Grover had made between us. I knew he felt. Grover was terrified of the big guy.

"I have to leave," Grover said miserably. "Juniper's waiting for me. It's good thing she finds cowards attractive."

After he was gone, I looked at Quintus. He nodded gravely, like we were sharing some dark secret. Then he went back to cutting his sausage with a dagger.

…

In the afternoon, I went down to the Pegasus stables to visit my friend Blackjack.

 _Yo, boss!_ He capered around in his stall, his black wings buffeting the air. _Ya bring me some sugar cubes?_

"You know those aren't good for you, Blackjack."

 _Yeah, so you brought me some, huh?_

I smiled and fed him a handful. Blackjack and I went back a long way when I sort of helped rescue him from Luke's demon cruise ship last year from Luke's demon cruise ship, and ever since, he insisted on repaying me with favors.

 _So we got any quests coming up?_ Blackjack asked. _I'm ready to fly, boss!_

I patted his nose. "Not sure, man. But I doubt you will go with us even if we do. It involves going to an underground cave."

 _You got that right_. Blackjack crunched down his sugar cubes. He shook his mane like he was having a sugar seizure. _Whoa! Good stuff! Well, boss, you come to your senses and want to fly somewhere, just give a whistle. Ole Blackjack and his buddies, we'll stampede anybody for ya!_

I told him I'd keep it in mind. Then a group of younger campers came into the stables to start their riding lessons, and I decided it was time to leave. I had a bad feeing I wasn't going to see Blackjack for a long time.

That night after dinner, Quintus had us suit up in combat armor like we were getting ready for capture the flag, but the mood among the campers was a lot more serious. Sometime during the day the crates in the arena had disappeared, and I had a feeling whatever was in them had been emptied into the woods.

Magical items were allowed, which worked to many of ours' favor. I strapped my thermos to my pants' belt.

"Right," Quintus said, standing on the head dining table. "Gather 'round."

He was dressed in black leather and bronze. In the torchlight, his gray hair made him look like a ghost. Mrs. O'Leary bounded happily around him, foraging for dinner scraps.

"You will be in teams of two," Quintus announced. When everybody started talking and trying to grab their friends, he yelled: "Which have already been chosen!"

"AWWWWW!" everybody complained.

"Your goal is simple: collect the gold laurels without dying. The wreath is wrapped in a silk package, tied to the back of one of the monsters. There are six monsters. Each has a silk package. Only one holds the laurels. You must find the wreath before the other teams. And, of course… you will have to slay the monster to get it, and stay alive."

The crowds started murmuring excitedly. The task sounded pretty straightforward. Hey, we'd all slain monsters before. That's what we trained for.

"I will now announce your partners," Quintus said. "There will be no trading. No switching. No complaining."

 _"Aroooof!"_ Mrs. O'Leary buried her face in a plate of pizza.

Quintus produced a big scroll and started reading off names. Beckendorf would be with Silena Beauregard, which both looked pretty happy about. The Stoll brothers, Travis and Connor, would be working together. No surprise. He even partnered up Dionysus' twin sons. Katie was pared up with a second year unclaimed who is quite skilled with a javelin. Clarisse was with Lee Fletcher from Apollo cabin—melee and ranged combat combined, they would be a tough combo to beat. Quintus kept rattling off the names until he said, "Percy Jackson and Annabeth Chase."

Annabeth and I high five each other. I wonder Quintus figured out from this morning that Annabeth was the daughter of Athena I was talking about yesterday or if this was just a coincidence. Either way, Annabeth and I are a powerful team when we work together.

"Grover Underwood," Quintus said, "with Tyson Jackson."

Grover just about jumped out of his goat fur. "What? B-but—"

"No, no," Tyson whimpered. "Must be a mistake. Goat boy—"

"No complaining!" Quintus ordered. "Get with your partner. You have two minutes to prepare."

Tyson and Grover looked at me pleadingly.

"Come on, guys! It's for one game," I responded.

Tyson sneezed. Grover started chewing nervously on his wooden club.

"They'll be fine," Annabeth said. "Come on. Let's worry about how we're going to stay alive."

It was still light when we got into the woods, but the shadows from the trees made it feel like midnight. It was cold, too, even in summer. Annabeth and I found tracks almost immediately—scuttling marks made by something with a lot of legs.

I had doubts it was some kind of giant spider like monster. Even if Athena did disown Quintus, he still is a son of Athena, and _all_ of her kids were scared of spiders due to the rivalry between Athena and Arachne. And if he really set these monsters in the woods, they would go after him in a split of a second.

Whatever it was, we followed its trail.

We jumped the creak and heard some twigs snapping nearby. We crouched behind a boulder, but it was only the Stoll brothers tripping through the woods and cursing. For the sons of the god of thieves who helped us won the game of Capture the Flag against the Hunters, they weren't being sneaky right now.

Once the Stoll brothers had passed, we forged deeper into the woods where the monsters were wilder. We were standing on a ledge overlooking a marshy pond when I told Annabeth about my dream last night. When I was done, she stared into the shadows of the woods. "Things could turn out bad if Nico seeks revenge. Nothing good ever came out of a child of Hades looking for revenge."

"Tell me about it," I responded. "It's another reason I think Nico knows about the Labyrinth, the spirit said it found Nico there."

Annabeth nodded. "That settles it. We _have_ to figure out the Labyrinth."

"Maybe," I said, "Maybe Hal's book have some clues about the Labyrinth we haven't thought about."

A branch snapped in the woods. Dry leaves rustled. Something large was moving in the trees, just beyond the ridge.

"That's not the Stoll brothers," Annabeth whispered.

Annabeth drew her sword as I uncapped riptide.

We got to Zeus' Fist, a huge pile of boulders in the middle of the west woods. It was a natural landmark where campers often rendezvoused on hunting expeditions, but now there was nobody around.

"Over there," Annabeth whispered.

"No, wait," I said. "Behind us."

It was weird. Scuttling noises seemed to be coming from several different directions. We were circling the boulders, our swords drawn, when someone right behind us said, "Hi."

We whirled around, and the tree nymph Juniper yelped.

"Put those down!" she protested. "Dryads don't like sharp blades, okay?"

"Juniper," Annabeth exhaled. "What are you doing here?"

"I live here. My tree is over there." Juniper pointed at a juniper at the edge of the clearing, "Are you guys busy?"

"We're not busy," Annabeth said. "What's wrong, Juniper?"

Juniper sniffled. She wiped her silky sleeve under her eyes. "It's Grover. He seems so distraught. Ever since winter solstice he's been out looking for Pan. And every time he comes back, it's worse. I thought maybe, at first, he was seeing another tree."

"No," Annabeth said, as Juniper started crying, "I'm sure that's not it."

"He had a crush on a blue berry bush once," Juniper said miserably.

"Juniper," Annnabeth said, "Grover would never even _look_ at another tree. He's just stressed about his searcher's license."

"He can't go underground!" she protested. "You can't let him."

Annabeth looked uncomfortable. "It might be the only way to help him; if we just knew where to start."

"Ah." Juniper wiped a green tear off her cheek. "About that…"

Another rustle in the woods, and Juniper yelled, "Hide!"

She went poof into green mist.

Annabeth and I turned. Coming out of the woods was a glistening amber insect, ten feet long, with jagged pincers, an armored tail, and a stinger as long as my sword. A scorpion. Tied to its back was a red silk package.

"One of us get behind it," Annabeth said, as the thing clattered toward us. "Cuts off it's tail while other distracts it."

"I'll distract it," I responded patting my thermos, "You got your invisibility hat?"

She nodded. We'd fought together so many times for eight years we knew each other's moves. We could do this easy. But it all went wrong when the other two scorpions appeared from the woods.

 _"Three?"_ Annabeth said. "That's not possible! The whole woods and half the monsters come at us?"

I swallowed. One, we could take. Two, with a little luck and a source of water. Three? Doubtful.

The scorpions scurried toward us, whipping their barbed tails like they'd come here just to kill us. Annabeth and I put our backs against the nearest boulder.

The scorpions were surrounding us. They were so close I could see their hideous mouths foaming, anticipating a nice juicy meal of demigods.

"Look out!" Annabeth parried away a stinger with the flat of her blade. I stabbed with Riptide, but the scorpions followed us. I slashed at another, but going on the offensive was too dangerous. If I went for the body, the tail stabbed downward. If I went for the tail, the thing's pincers came from either side and tried to grab me. Our best chance was to defend as long as we could.

I took another step sideways, and suddenly there was nothing behind me. It was a crack between two of the largest boulders, something I'd probably passed a million times, but…"

"In here," I said.

Annabeth sliced at a scorpion then looked at me like I was crazy. _"In there?_ It's too narrow?"

"We don't have much of a choice. I'll cover you. Go!" I responded.

Annabeth ducked behind me and started squeezing between the two boulders. Then she yelped and grabbed my armor straps, and suddenly I was tumbling into a pit that hadn't been there a moment before. I could see the scorpions above us, the purple evening sky and the trees, and then the hole shut like the lens of a camera, and we were in complete darkness.

Our breathing echoed against the stone. It was wet and cold. I was sitting on a bumpy floor that seemed to be made of bricks.

I lifted Riptide. The faint glow of the blade was just enough to illuminate Annabeth's frightened face and the mossy stone walls on either side of us.

"Wh-where are we?" Annabeth said.

"I don't know," I responded, trying to remain calm, but I was freaking out. The cracks between the boulders couldn't have led into a cave. I would've known if there was a cave here; I was sure of it. It was like the ground and opened up and swallowed us.

I lifted my sword again for light.

Annabeth gripped my arm. "It's a corridor."

She was right. The darkness felt… empty in front of us. There was a warm breeze, like a subway tunnels, only it felt older, more dangerous somehow.

"You think this is—" I started.

"Yeah, I think so," Annabeth responded. "We need to find the exit."

She sounded really scared now.

"Well, Wise Girl?" I asked—using my old child hood nickname for her to try and calm her down, "You studied this place more than I have, how do we find the exit?"

Annabeth nodded and said, "We need to first take two steps back."

We stepped backward together like we were in a minefield.

"Okay," she said. Help me examine the walls. Look for the Mark of Daedalus," she said.

"The Greek symbol for Delta," I responded remembering it from both Hal's book and from Ancient Greek lessons."

Annabeth nodded. We started feeling around the walls.

"Got it!" she said with relief. She set her hand on the wall and pressed against a tiny fissure, which began to glow. A Greek symbol appeared: L, the Ancient Greek Delta.

The floor slide open and we saw night sky, star blazing. It was a lot darker than it should've been. Metal ladder rungs appeared in the side of the wall, leading up, and I could hear people yelling our names.

"Percy! Annabeth!" Tyson's voice bellowed the loudest, but others were calling out too.

I looked nervously at Annabeth. Then we began to climb.

We made our way around the rocks and ran into Clarisse and a bunch of other campers carrying torches.

"Where have you two been?" Clarisse demanded. "We've been looking forever."

"What are you talking about?" I asked.

Chiron trotted up followed by Tyson and Grover.

"Percy!" Tyson said. "You're okay?"

"We're fine!" I said.

"You've been missing for almost an hour," Chiron said. "The game is over."

"Yeah," Grover muttered. "We would've won, but a Cyclops sat on me."

"Was an accident!" Tyson protested, and then he sneezed.

Clarisse was wearing the gold laurels, but she didn't even brag about winning them, which wasn't like her. "What happened?" she asked suspiciously.

Annabeth took a deep breath. She looked around at the other campers, "Chiron… maybe we should talk about this at the Big House."

Clarisse gasped. "You found it, didn't you?"

Annabeth bit her lip. "Yeah. Yeah, we did."

A bunch of campers started asking questions, looking confused, but Chiron raised his hand for silence. "Tonight is not the right time, and this is not the right place." He stared at the boulders as if he'd just noticed how dangerous they were. "All of you, back to your cabins. Get some sleep. A game well played, but curfew is past!"

There was a lot of mumbling and complaints, but the campers drifted off, talking among themselves and giving me suspicious looks.

"This explains a lot," Clarisse said. "It explains what Luke is after."

I nodded. Even I understand what happened. Annabeth and I stumbled onto an entrance into the Labyrinth here in camp. Which means Luke has a direct route straight into the heart of the camp.


	4. Annabeth Leads a Quest

**A/N:** Certain ancient Greek names matches words use of foul language but no foul language was intentionally used. Also if you haven't read them yet read 'The Tales of the Son of Poseidon & the Early Adventures' 'The Tales of the Son of Poseidon & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief' 'The Tales of the Son of Poseidon & the Olympians: The Sea of Monsters' and 'The Tales of the Son of Poseidon & the Olympians: The Titan's Curse' before reading this story. Lastly, any one who wants to do a Demigods and Olympian reads story using 'The Tales of the Son of Poseidon' is allowed _as long as_ you inform me about it.

* * *

 **Annabeth Leads a Quest**

Chiron insisted we talk about it in the morning, which was kind of like, _Hey, your life's in mortal danger. Sleep tight!_ It was hard to fall asleep, but when I finally did, I didn't get more info on Nico, but rather had a vision of the past.

I saw a boy in a Greek tunic and sandals crouching alone in a massive stone room. The ceiling was open to the night sky, but the walls were twenty feet high and polished marble, completely smooth. Scattered around the room were wooden crates. Some were cracked and tipped over, as if they'd been flung in there. Bronze tools spilled out of one—a compass, a saw, and a bunch of other things I didn't recognize.

The boy huddled in the corner shivering from the cold, or maybe fear. He was spattered in mud. His legs, arms, and face were scraped up as if he'd been dragged here along with the boxes.

Then the double oak doors moaned open. Two guards in bronze armor marched in, holding an old man between them. They flung him to the floor in a battered heap.

"Father!" The boy ran to him. The man's robes were in tatters. His hair was streaked with gray, and his beard was long and curly. His nose had been broken. His lips were bloody.

The boy took the old man's head in his arms. "What did they do to you?" then he yelled at the guards, "I'll kill you!"

"There will be no killing today," a voice said.

The guards moved aside. Behind them stood a tall man in white robes. He wore a thin circlet of gold on his head. His beard was pointed like a spear blade. His eyes glittered cruelly. "You helped the Athenian kill my Minotaur, Daedalus. You turned my own daughter against me."

"You did that yourself, Your Majesty," the old man croaked.

A guard planted a kick in the old man's ribs. He groaned in agony. The young boy cried, "Stop!"

"You love your maze so much," the king said, "I have decided to let you stay here. This will be your workshop. Make me new wonders. Amuse me. Every maze needs a monster. You shall be mine!"

"I don't fear you," the old man groaned.

The king smiled coldly. He locked his eyes on the boy. "But a man cares about his son, eh? Displease me, old man, and the next time my guards inflicted punishment, it will be on him!"

The king swept out of the room with his guards, and the doors slammed shut, leaving the boy and his father alone in the darkness.

"What will we do?" the boy moaned. "Father, they will kill you!"

The old man swallowed with difficulty. He tried to smile, but it was a gruesome sight with his bloody mouth.

"Take heart, my son." He gazed up at the stars. "I—I will find a way."

A bar lowered across the doors with a fatal _BOOM_ , and I woke in a cold sweat.

Instead of going back to bed I quickly got out of my bunk went under it and removed the loose floor board to pull out Halcyon's green. I didn't know what I was looking for exactly, but I decided to start with the name I heard in my dream 'Daedalus'.

…

Chiron called a war council at the sword arena, which I thought was pretty strange—trying to discuss the fate of the camp while Mrs. O'Leary chewed on a life-size squeaky pink rubber yak.

Chiron and Quintus stood at the front by the weapon racks. Clarisse and Annabeth sat next to each other and led the briefing. Tyson and Grover sat as far away from each other as possible. Grover was here because if we take the quest, this could be his chance to find Pan, and I brought Tyson here as support. Also present around the table: Juniper the tree nymph, Silena Beauregard, Travis and Connor Stoll, Beckendorf, Dionysus twin sons: Castor and Pollux, Lee Fletcher, Katie Gardner, and even Argus, our hundred-eyed security chief, was here. You know when things are serious if Argus is here, because he hardly shows up unless something really major was going on. The whole time Annabeth spoke, he kept his hundred blue eyes trained on her so his body turned bloodshot.

"Luke must have known about the Labyrinth entrance," Annabeth said trying to hide the pride in her voice. "He knew everything about camp."

Juniper cleared her throat. "That's what I was trying to tell you last night. The cave entrance has been there a long time. Luke used it."

Silena Beauregard frowned. "You knew about the Labyrinth entrance, and you didn't say anything?"

Juniper's face turned green. "I didn't know it was important. Just a cave. I don't like yucky old caves."

"She has good taste," Grover said.

"I wouldn't have paid attention except... well, it was Luke." She blushed a little greener.

Grover huffed. "Forget what I said about good taste."

"Interesting." Quintus polished his sword as he spoke. "And you believe this young man, Luke would dare use the Labyrinth as an invasion route?"

"Definitely," Clarisse said. "If he could get an army of monsters inside Camp Half-Blood, just popped up in the middle of the woods without having to worry about our magical boundaries, we wouldn't stand a chance. He could wipe us out easy. He must've been planning this for months."

"He's been sending scouts into the maze," Annabeth said. "We know because… because we found one."

"Chris Rodriguez," Chiron said. He gave Quintus a meaningful look.

"Ah," Quintus said. "The one in the… Yes. I understand."

I didn't like how Quintus said that but I bit my lip to try and not ask, which is hard being ADHD.

"The point is," Chiron continued, "Luke has been looking for a way to navigate the maze. He's searching for Daedalus' workshop."

I remembered my dream from the night before—the bloody old man in the tattered robes. "The greatest architect and inventor of all time."

"Yes,' Annabeth said. "If the legends are true, his workshop is in the center of the Labyrinth. He's the only one who knew how to navigate the maze perfectly. If Luke managed to find the workshop and convince Daedalus to help him, Luke wouldn't have to fumble around searching for paths, or risk losing his army in the maze's traps. He could navigate anywhere he wanted—quickly and safely. First to Camp Half-Blood to wipe us out. Then… Mount Olympus."

The arena was silent except for Mrs. O'Leary toy yak getting disemboweled: _SQUEAK! SQUEAK!_

Finally Beckendorf put his hands on the table that was placed on the arena. "Back up a sec. Annabeth, you said 'convince Daedalus'? Isn't Daedalus dead?"

Quintus grunted. "I would hope so. He lived, what, three thousand years ago? And even if he were alive, don't the old stories say he fled the Labyrinth."

"Not necessary," I spoke up, "Last night, after having a hard time sleeping, I decide to look up the stories of Daedalus myself in the book Halcyon Green left me before he died. The book had many theories behind what happened to Daedalus, but one of the theories was that Daedalus went back into the Labyrinth after the death of King Minos as if to escape Minos' spirit himself."

Everyone stared at me with a mixture of impress and surprise. Annabeth was most impressed herself, but Chiron had a look that told me he knew I was hiding the real reason I researched the name.

"Is it wise for someone to rely on a single book for answers though?" Quintus asked.

"Halcyon Green once told me that everything I can learn from his book can help me in the near future," I responded. "Before last night, I thought he meant with keeping me alive against monsters and magical places by learning everything I can about them, but now I realized he was mainly referring to the stories like of Daedalus and the Labyrinth itself."

"We need to go in," Annabeth announced. "We have to find the workshop before Luke does. If Daedalus is alive, we convince him to help us, not Luke. If Ariadne's string still exists, we make sure it never falls into Luke's hands."

"Wait a second," Pollux said, "If we're worried about an attack, why not just blow up the entrance?" Seal the tunnel?"

"It's not so easy," Clarisse growled. "We tried that at the entrance we found in Phoenix. It didn't go well."

Annabeth nodded. "The Labyrinth is a magical architecture. It would take huge power to seal even one of its entrances. In Phoenix, Clarisse demolished a whole building with a wrecking ball, and the maze entrance just shifted a few feet. The best we can do is prevent Luke from learning to navigate the Labyrinth."

"We could fight," Lee Fletcher said, "We know where the entrance is now. We can set up defensive lines and wait for them. If an army tries to come through, they'll fight us waiting with our bows."

"We will certainly set up defenses," Chiron said. "But I fear Clarisse is right. The magical borders have kept this camp safe for years. If Luke manages to get a large army of monsters into the center of camp, bypassing our boundaries… we may not have the strength to defeat them."

Nobody looked real happy about that news. Chiron usually tried to be upbeat and optimistic. If he was predicting we couldn't hold off an attack, that wasn't good.

Riptide grew lightly heavy in my pocket as Zoë Nightshade's—former lieutenant of the Hunters of Artemis who died last winter—final words replayed in my head: _You can keep this sword with the knowledge that when the time comes when the Campers need allies the most, the Hunters will come to their aid._

"The Hunters!" I responded gaining everyone's attention, "Zoë made a promise on her final breath that if the Camp is ever need of allies the most, the Hunters will come to our aid. Thalia and Bianca both joined the Hunters of Artemis to make sure that if it ever comes to it, the Hunters will to follow Zoë's final promise!"

Chiron thought of it. "It wouldn't hurt to send an Iris Message to Artemis about our situations."

"Meanwhile, we have to get to Daedalus' workshop first," Annabeth insisted. "Find Ariadne's string and prevent Luke from using it."

"Then we'll need a quest," Chiron said, "Someone must enter the Labyrinth, find the workshop of Daedalus, and prevent Luke from using the maze to invade this camp."

"Then I think the one who should lead this quest is the one who been studying the Labyrinth for years," I said looking at Annabeth.

"Me?" Annabeth responded.

I nodded. There was a murmur of agreement as Annabeth started to look uncomfortable. Although I swear some were in shock that I recommended Annabeth.

"For once I agree with Prissy here," Clarisse responded. "There's no one better to lead this quest than a child of Athena."

"But—you've done as much as I have, Clarisse," Annabeth said, "You should go, too."

Clarisse shook her head. "I'm not going back in there."

Travis Stoll laughed. "Don't tell me you're scared. Clarisse, chicken?"

Clarisse got to her feet, but instead of pulverizing him, she said in a shaky voice: "You don't understand anything, punk. I'm never going in there again. Never!"

She stormed out of the arena.

Travis looked around sheepishly. "I didn't mean to—"

Chiron raised his hand. "The poor girl had a difficult year. Now, do we have agreement that Annabeth should lead this quest?"

We all nodded except for Quintus. He folded his arms and stared at the table, but I wasn't sure anyone else noticed.

"Very well," Chiron turned to Annabeth. "My dear, it's your time to visit the Oracle. Assuming you return to us in one piece, we shall discuss what to do next."

…

I ended spending my time waiting for Annabeth returning pacing around the arena reminding myself that Annabeth been up in the attic before and that she would be fine.

The spirit of Delphi slept inside the body of the mummified hippie lady but for five year of my life I been terrified of the thought of going up in the attic, less than seeking council of the Oracle. The reason was I knew something not many knew about, not even Luke. Well, except for Chiron.

See about twenty-one to twenty-two years ago, Luke's mom May Castellan went into oracle for what I believe now is to become the new oracle, but lost her sanity cause of it. She was the sweetest woman in the world, but after one attempt, she became like one of those people you expected to be institutionalize for theirs and everyone around them own safety and I was scared that if I went up there the same thing would happened to me.

Only my closest friends I trust—except for Luke—knew that dream vision was the reason I was so scared of the oracle. Which means, only Thalia Annabeth and Chiron knew. Hermes probably knew too, but I rather not get into details about that.

It wasn't until I was offered my first quest to retrieve the Master Bolt that I faced my fears and consulted the Oracle. But I still worried about what would happen to May Castellan will happen again.

Chiron was deep in conversation with Quintus and Argus. It looked to me like they were disagreeing about something. Quintus kept shaking his head.

On the other side of the arena, Tyson and the Stoll brothers were racing miniature bronze chariots that Tyson had made out of armor scraps.

I gave up on pacing and left the arena. I stared across the fields at the Big House's attic window, dark and still. What was taking Annabeth so long?

"Percy," a girl whispered.

Juniper was standing in the bushes. It was weird how she almost turned invisible when she was surrounded by plants.

She gestured me over urgently. "You need to know: Luke wasn't the only one I saw around that cave."

"What do you mean?"

She glanced back at the arena. "I was trying to say something, but he was right there."

"Who?"

"The sword master," she said. "He was poking around the rocks."

My stomach clenched. "Quintus? When?"

"I don't know. I don't pay attention to time. Maybe a week ago, when he first showed up."

"What was he doing? Did he go in?"

"I—I'm not sure. He's creepy, Percy. I didn't even see him come into the glade. Suddenly he was just _there_. You have to tell Grover it's too dangerous—"

"Juniper?" Grover called from inside the arena. "Where'd you go?"

Juniper sighed. "I'd better go in. Just remember what I said. Don't trust that man!"

She ran into the arena.

I stared at the Big House, feeling more uneasy than ever. If Quintus was up to something, it might be essential to the quest, and Annabeth will need to know about it.

Finally I couldn't stand it anymore.

It was against the rules, but nobody was watching. I ran down the hill and headed across the fields.

The front parlor of the Big House was strangely quiet. I was used to seeing Dionysus here, but he was still gone.

I walked down the hallway, floorboards creaking under my feet. When I got to the base of the stairs, I hesitated. Four floors above would be a little trapdoor leading to the attic. Annabeth would be somewhere. I stood quietly and listened. But what I heard was sobbing, and it was coming from below me.

I crept around the back of the stairs. The basement door was open. I never been in the basement of the Big House but my curiosity got the best of me. I peered inside and saw two figures in the far corner, sitting amid a bunch of stockpiled cases of ambrosia and strawberry preserves. One was Clarisse. The other was a teenage Hispanic guy in tattered camouflage pants and a dirty black T-shirt. His hair was greasy and matted. He was hugging his shoulders and sobbing. It was Chris Rodriguez.

"It's okay," Clarisse was telling him. "Try a little more nectar."

"You're an illusion, Mary!" Chris backed farther into the corner. "G-get away."

"My name's not Mary." Clarisse's voice was gentle but sad. "My name is Clarisse. Remember. Please."

"It's dark!" Chris yelled. "So dark!"

"Come outside," Clarisse coaxed. "The sunlight will help you."

"A… a thousand skulls. The earth keeps healing him."

"Chris," Clarisse pleaded. It sounded like she was close to tears. "You have to get better. Please. Mr. D will be back soon. He's an expert in madness. Just hang on."

Chris' eyes were like a cornered rat's—wild and desperate. "There's no way out, Mary. No way out."

Then he caught glimpse of me ad made a strangled, terrified sound. "The son of Poseidon! He's horrible!"

I backed away, hoping Clarisse hadn't seen me. Clarisse kept talking to Chris in a sad pleading voice, trying to get him to drink nectar. Maybe she thought it was part of Chris' hallucination, but… _son of Poseidon?_ Chris had been looking at me, and yet why did I get the feeling he hadn't been talking about me at all?

I decided to leave Chris to Clarisse. If there's one thing I know, if there's anyone who knows Chris better than me it's Clarisse. The way they use to hang together before Chris changed sides made me wonder if they had a crush on each other, but now I'm certain—at least with Clarisse, and if I knew what was good for me, I keep my mouth shut.

I heard a creak from above—like the attic door opening—and I ran for the front door. I needed to get out of that house.

…

"My dear," Chiron said. "You made it.

Annabeth walked into the arena after I manage to sneak back in without being noticed. She sat on the stone bench and stared at the floor.

"Well?" Quintus asked.

Annabeth looked at me first. I couldn't tell if she was trying to warn me, or if the look in her eyes was just plain fear. I realized I haven't seen her like this since Annabeth snuck in to see the oracle without permission. Then she focused on Quintus. "I got the prophecy. I will lead the quest to find Daedalus' workshop."

Nobody cheered. I mean, we all liked Annabeth, and we wanted her to have a quest, but this one seemed insanely dangerous.

Chiron scraped the hoof on the dirt floor. "What did the prophecy say exactly, my dear? The wording is important."

Annabeth took a deep breath. "I, ah… well, it said, _You shall delve in the darkness of endless maze…"_

We waited.

"The dead, the traitor, and the lost one raise."

Grover perked up. "The lost one! That must mean Pan! That's great!"

"With the dead and the traitor," I added. "Not so great."

"And?" Chiron asked. "What is the rest?"

 _"You shall rise or fall by the ghost king's hand,"_ Annabeth said, _"the child of Athena's final stand."_

Everyone looked around uncomfortably. Annabeth was a daughter of Athena, and the final stand didn't sound good.

"Hey… we shouldn't jump to conclusions," Silena said. "Annabeth isn't the only child of Athena, right?"

"But who's this ghost king?" Beckendorf asked.

No one answered. I thought about the dream visions of Nico and Daedalus and I had a feeling the two were connected.

"Are there more lines?" Chiron asked. "The Prophecy does not sound complete."

Annabeth hesitated. "I don't remember exactly."

Chiron raised an eyebrow. Annabeth was known for her memory. She never forgot something she heard.

Annabeth shifted on her bench. "Something about… _Destroy with a hero's final breath."_

"And?" Chiron asked.

She stood. "Look, the point is, I have to go in. I'll find workshop and stop Luke. And… I need help." She turned to me. "Will you come?"

I didn't even hesitated. "You bet."

She smiled for the first time in days. "Grover, you too? The wild god is waiting."

Grover seemed to forgot how much he hated underground. The lines about the "lost one" had completely energized him. "I'll pack extra recyclables for snacks!"

"And Tyson," Annabeth said. "I'll need you too."

"Yay! Blow-things-up time!" Tyson clapped so hard he woke up Mrs. O'Leary, who was dozing in the corner."

"Wait, Annabeth," Chiron said. "This goes against ancient laws. A hero is allowed only two companions."

"I need them all," she insisted. "Chiron, it's important."

I didn't know why she was certain, but I was happy she'd included Tyson. I couldn't imagine leaving him behind. He was huge and strong and great at figuring out mechanical things. Unlike satyrs, Cyclopes had no problem underground. The only thing that I'm worried about for Tyson's sake was the chance of running into the sphinx down there.

Quintus was studying us, like he was trying to decide which of us would come back alive.

Chiron didn't like the idea of four people coming. There was a reason we stick to the three companion rule. The more demigods in a group out in the open the more chance of a monster attack. Three was the safest number for a group of demigods. Only reason five went on the quest to save Artemis last summer was because Zoë's prophecy prophesized it and even with that Bianca Thalia and I were really the only demigods that went on the quest. But the way I see it, there's two demigods a satyr and a Cyclopes, and only powerful monsters are brave enough to go against a Cyclopes.

Chiron sighed. "Very well. Let us adjourn. The members of the quest must prepare themselves. Tomorrow at dawn, we send you into the Labyrinth. Now if you excuse me, I need to see about getting the Hunters to come here."

…

Quintus pulled me aside as the council was breaking up.

"I have a bad feeling about this," he told me.

Mrs. O'Leary came over, wagging her tail happily. She dropped her shield at my feet, and I threw it for her. Quintus watched her romp after it. I remember what Juniper had said about him scouting out the maze. I don't know if I should trust him, in fact I still don't know why Athena disowned him, but when he looked at me, I saw real concern in his eyes.

"I don't like the idea of you going down there," he said. "Any of you. But if you must, I want you to remember something. The Labyrinth exists to fool you. It will distract you. That's dangerous for half-bloods. We are easily distracted."

"You've been in there?"

"Long ago." His voice was ragged. "I barely escaped with my life. Most who entered aren't that lucky."

He gripped my shoulder. "Percy, keep your mind on what matters most. If you can do that, you might find the way. And here, I wanted to give you something."

He handed me a little silver tube. It was so cold I almost dropped it.

"A whistle?" I asked.

"A dog whistle," Quintus said. "For Mrs. O'Leary."

"Um, thanks, but—"

"How will it work in the maze? I'm not a hundred percent certain it will. But Mrs. O'Leary is a hellhound. She can appear when called, no matter how far away she is. I'd feel better knowing you had this. If you really need help, use it; but be careful, the whistle is made of Stygian ice."

" _What_ ice?"

"From the River of Styx. Very hard to craft. Very delicate. It cannot melt, but it will shatter when you blow it, so you can only use it once."

I thought about Luke, my friend turned enemy. Right before I'd gone on my first quest, Luke had given me a gift, too—magic winged shoes that had been designed to drag me to my death. Quintus seemed so nice. So concern. And Mrs. O'Leary liked him, which had to count for something. She dropped the slimy shield at my feet and barked excitedly.

I felt ashamed that I could even thing about mistrusting Quintus, especially since he did try to help me all those years ago.

"Thanks," I told Quintus. I slipped the freezing whistle into my pocket, promising myself that I would never use it, and I dashed off toward my cabin.

Once inside I grabbed Hal's book that I left on my bunk when I went to the War Council. I figured if there's anything that would help Annabeth, it was that book.

Over the years the only time I'd ever been in Athena's Cabin was when Luke let me help him with inspections.

It was a silvery building, nothing fancy, with plain white curtains and a carved stone owl over the doorway. The owl's onyx eyes seemed to follow me as I walked closer. The inside was a workshop for brainiac kids. The bunks were all pushed against one wall as if sleeping didn't matter much. Most of the room was a huge library crammed with old scrolls and leather-bound books and paperbacks. There was an architect's drafting table with a bunch of rulers and protractors, and some 3-D models of buildings. Huge old war maps were plastered in the ceiling. Sets of armor hung under the windows, their bronze plates glinting in the sun.

"Hello?" I called inside.

Annabeth was in the back of the room, rifling through old scrolls.

"Knock, knock?" I said.

She turned with a start. "Oh… hi. Didn't hear you."

"I figured you would be studying Daedalus' labyrinth, so I brought a little something that might helped," I said as I placed Hal's book in front of her.

Annabeth looked at me and at the book then back at me with her eyes widened. She knew me for eight years and she knew Hal's book was the only book I keep in my cabin.

"Percy, I can't—I mean, Hal left it for you, right?" Annabeth responded.

"He also said it could come in handy in the future," I reminded her, "And right now, I think it's more useful for you than it is for me. I already marked the pages about the Labyrinth."

"When did you—"

"You didn't think I spend half the night researching only Daedalus, did you?" I asked. "I don't know if it will have anything new on the Labyrinth, but I figured it couldn't hurt to lend it to you to read just in case."

Annabeth's hair had come loose and was hanging in a tangled blond curtain all around her face along with the gray streak in her hair—the one thing the two of us had in common. Both of us held up the sky for a brief time—although Annabeth held it longer than I did—but we both gained a gray streak in our hairs as a reminder.

"Thanks Percy," Annabeth responded. "I've wanted to lead a quest since I was seven."

"I know," I responded. "That's why I gave leadership to you. There's no better quest for a daughter of Athena to lead than a quest into the greatest architect known."

"One of," Annabeth corrected. "But I get your point. I just wish I know more about it. All the maps, all the stories—they seem to lead to nowhere."

"Have you tried looking up how Harriet Tubman did it?" I asked. "If I remember correctly, she did use the Labyrinth as part of her Underground railroad."

"I tried, but it doesn't say much. All the books say is that Tubman just knew how to go through the Labyrinth," Annabeth said, "But that wouldn't explain why Luke need the string since..."

"Harriet and Luke are children of Hermes," I responded, "It could be a rare ability, like Aphrodite's Charm Speak."

"Maybe," Annabeth responded. "I'm just worried, Percy. Maybe I shouldn't asked you to do this. Or Tyson and Grover."

"Hey, we're friends. We wouldn't miss out the chance to help you in your first quest as leader," I responded.

"But…" She stopped herself.

"What is it?" I asked. "The prophecy?"

"I'm sure it's fine," she said in a small voice.

"What was the last line?"

Then she did something that really surprised me. She blinked back tears and put out her arms.

I stepped forward and hugged her. Butterflies started turning my stomach into a mosh pit.

"Hey, it's… it's okay." I patted her back.

I was aware of everything in the room. I felt like I could read the tiniest print on any book on the shelves. Annabeth's hair smelled like lemon soap. She was shivering.

"Chiron might be right," she muttered "I'm breaking the rules. But I don't know what else to do. I need you three. It just feels right."

"Then don't worry about it," I managed. "Remember, there's nothing the two of us can't due when we work together. We've proven that many times before. And I'm sure Grover and Tyson will try hard to work together if it means helping you."

"I know. I just… I don't want anything happening to… any of you."

Behind me, somebody cleared his throat.

It was one of Annabeth's half-brothers and her second-in-command Malcolm. His face was bright red. "Um, sorry," he said. "Archery practice is starting, Annabeth. Chiron said to come find you."

I stepped away from Annabeth. "I was just lending Annabeth a book I thought would help her in her research," I responded.

Malcolm stared at me. "Okay."

"Tell Chiron I'll be right there," Annabeth said, and Malcolm left in a hurry.

Annabeth rubbed her eyes. "Thanks again for the book, Percy. I'll check it out when I'm done with Archery lesson."

I nodded, feeling more confused than I ever had in my life, but I needed to say one thing.

"Remember the prophecy I got when we went on the quest for the Master Bolt?" I asked. "I had that line about a choice I made in the past will burden me."

"Yeah, it turned out to be about you not telling Luke about the truth about his mom," Annabeth responded.

"And it still burdens me that I haven't been able to tell him," I responded, "But when I told you and Chiron about it, you made the burden at least lighter on me."

"Percy, is there a reason you're telling me this?" Annabeth asked.

"Just that, you don't need to tell me or Grover or Tyson about the last line yet, but you shouldn't keep it to yourself," I responded, "Just because you're the quest leader doesn't mean you'll have hold the burden of the quest by yourself."

Annabeth smiled. "Thanks Percy. Now, you better go. Get ready for the quest. I'll—I'll see you in the morning."

I nodded and left the cabin. Before I headed back to my cabin I turned to the owl above Athena's Cabin—still seem to be following me.

 _Annabeth is going to need your guidance too, Athena_ , I thought.


	5. Nico Digs For Information

**A/N:** Certain ancient Greek names matches words use of foul language but no foul language was intentionally used. Also if you haven't read them yet read 'The Tales of the Son of Poseidon & the Early Adventures' 'The Tales of the Son of Poseidon & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief' 'The Tales of the Son of Poseidon & the Olympians: The Sea of Monsters' and 'The Tales of the Son of Poseidon & the Olympians: The Titan's Curse' before reading this story. Lastly, any one who wants to do a Demigods and Olympian reads story using 'The Tales of the Son of Poseidon' is allowed _as long as_ you inform me about it.

* * *

 **Nico Digs For Information**

At least I got a good night sleep before the quest, right?

Wrong.

That night in my dreams, I was in the state room of the _Princess Andromeda_. The windows were open on a moonlit sea. Cold wind rustle the velvet drapes.

Luke knelt on a Persian rug in front of the golden sarcophagus of Kronos. In the moonlight, Luke's blond hair looked pure white. He wore an ancient Greek _chiton_ and a white _himation_ , a kind of cape that flowed down his shoulders. The white clothes made him look timeless and a little unreal, like one of the minor gods of Mount Olympus. The last time I'd seen him, he'd been broken and unconscious after a nasty fall from Mount Tam. Now he looked perfectly fine. Almost _too_ healthy.

"Our spies report success, my lord," he said. "Camp Half-Blood is sending a quest, as you predicted. Our side of the bargain is almost complete."

 _Excellent_. The voice of Kronos didn't so much speak as pierce my mind like a dagger. It was freezing with cruelty. _Once we have the means to navigate, I will lead the vanguard through myself._

Luke closed his eyes as if collecting his thoughts. "My lord, perhaps it is too soon. Perhaps Krios or Hyperion should lead—"

 _No._ The voice was quite but absolute firm. _I will lead. One more heart shall join our cause, and that will be sufficient. At last I shall rise fully from Tartarus._

"But the form, my lord…" Luke's voice started shaking.

 _Show me your sword, Luke Castellan._

Luke drew his sword. Backbiter's double edge glowed wickedly—half steel, half celestial bronze. It was an evil weapon, able to kill both mortals and monsters.

 _You pledged yourself to me,_ Kronos remind him. _You took this sword as proof of your oath._

"Yes, my lord. It's just—"

 _You wanted power. I gave you that. You are now beyond harm. Soon you will rule the world of gods and mortals. Do you not wish to avenge yourself? To see Olympus destroy?_

A shiver ran through Luke's body. "Yes."

The coffin glowed a golden light filling the room. _Then make ready the strike force. As soon as the bargain is done, we shall move forward. First, Camp Half-Blood and any ally that helps them will be reduced to ashes. Once those bothersome heroes are eliminated, we will march on Olympus._

There was a knock on the stateroom doors. The light of the coffin faded. Luke rose. He sheathed his sword, adjusted his white clothes, and took a deep breath.

"Come in."

The doors opened. Two _dracaenae_ slithered in—snake women with double serpents trunks instead of legs. Between them walked Kelli, the _empousa_ cheerleader from my freshmen orientation.

"Hello, Luke." Kelli smiled. She was wearing a red dress and she would of looked awesome if I haven't seen her true form. I knew what she was hiding: mismatched legs, red eyes, fangs, and flaming hair.

"What is it, demon?" Luke's voice was cold. "I told you not to disturb me."

Kelli pouted. "That's not very nice. You look tense. How about a nice shoulder massage?"

Luke stepped back. "If you have something to report, say it. Otherwise leave!"

"I don't know why you're so huffy these days. You _used_ to be fun to hang around."

"That was before I saw what you did to that boy in Seatle."

"Oh, he meant nothing to me," Kelli said. "Just a snack, really. You know my heart belongs to you, Luke."

"Thanks, but no thanks. Now report or get out."

Kelli shrugged. "Fine. The advance team is ready, as you requested. We can leave—" She frowned.

"What is it?" Luke asked.

"A presence," Kelli sad. "Your senses are getting dull, Luke. We're being watched."

Fortunately, my dream shifted before she found me.

Now I see Nico, but he was no longer in the Underworld. He was standing in a graveyard under the starry sky. Giant willow trees loomed all around him.

He was watching some gravediggers at work. I heard shovels and saw dirt flying out of a hole. Nico was dressed in a black cloak. The night was foggy. It was warm and humid, and frogs were croaking. A large Wal-Mart bag sat next to Nico's feet.

"Is it deep enough yet?" Nico asked. He sounded irritated.

"Nearly, my lord." It was the same ghost from my last dream vision with Nico, the faint image of a man. "Although you don't need to summon this woman to do what I can do myself."

"I wanted to make sure," Nico responded as he snapped his fingers and the digging stopped. Two figures climbed out of the hole. They weren't people. They were skeletons in ragged clothes.

"You are dismissed," Nico said. "Thank you."

The skeletons collapsed into pile of bones.

"You might as well thank the shovels," the ghost complained. "They have as much sense."

Nico ignored him. He reached into his Wal-Mart bag and pulled out a twelve pack of Coke. He popped open a can. Instead of drinking it, he poured it into the grave.

"Let the dead taste again," he murmured. "Let them rise and take this offering. Let them remember."

He dropped the rest of the Cokes into the grave and pulled out a white paper bag decorated with cartoons. I hadn't seen one since I was seven, before Mrs. O'Leary pounced me, but I recognized it—a McDonald's Happy Meal.

He threw it upside down and shook the fries and hamburger into the grave.

"In my day, we used animal blood," the ghost mumbled. "It's perfectly good enough. They can't taste the difference."

"I will treat them with respect," Nico said.

"At least let me keep the toy," the ghost said.

"Be quiet!" Nico ordered. He emptied another twelve pack of soda and three more Happy Meals into the grave, then began chanting in Ancient Greek that I recognize as about the dead and memories and returning from the grave. Real happy stuff.

The grave started to bubble. Frothy brown liquid rose to the top like the whole thing was filling with soda. The fog thickened. The frogs stopped croaking. Dozens of figures began to appear among the gravestones: bluish, vaguely human shapes. Nico had summoned the dead with Coke and cheeseburgers."

"There are too many," the ghost said nervously. "You don't know your own powers."

"I've got it under control," Nico said, though his voice sounded fragile. He drew his sword—a short blade made of solid black metal. I'd never seen anything like it. It wasn't celestial bronze or steel. Iron, maybe? The crowd of shades retreated at the sight of it.

"One at a time," Nico commanded.

A single figure floated forward and knelt at the pool.

It made slurping sounds as it drank. Its ghostly hands scooped French fries out of the pool. When it stood again, I could see it much more clearly. It was some African American woman with dark hair. She actually looked familiar.

"Who are you?" Nico said. "Speak."

The woman frowned, as if trying to remember. Then she spoke in a voice like dry, crumpling paper: "Harriet Tubman."

My eyes widened. This was _the_ Harriet Tubman, one of female legends of Hermes Cabin. She led hundreds of slaves North to freedom.

"Is it true you used the Labyrinth to lead escape slaves North?" Nico asked.

Harriet's eyes were lifeless as glass. "If you seek journey through the Labyrinth, I suggest you come prepared."

"Just tell me!"

"My father Hermes first told me of it, he knew about my gift that few mortals had, and assisted me in leading my people to freedom."

Nico's ghost hissed, "My lord, the inventor. Asked her about him."

"Who goes there!" Harriet responded.

"Nothing!" Nico responded, "On your quest, did you come across an architect-inventor?"

"I have," Harriet said, "He warned me of the risk, and then—"

"Then what?" Nico asked.

"He said I reminded him of a princess he knew. A mortal girl with the same gift as mine. And if I insist on my quest, that I make sure none diverge from the path I led him," Harriet said.

Suddenly, around the edges of the pool, the other ghost became restless. They stirred, whispering in nervous tones.

"He's coming," Harriet said fearfully. "He has sensed your summons. He comes."

"Who?" Nico demanded.

"He comes to find the source of this power," Harriet said. "You must release us!"

The graveyard started to glow until it was too painful to watch.

…

I woke with a start. It was early morning, still dark out. I didn't know what the deal is with the visions, but I knew two things. Luke's army was ready to attack, and Nico was seeking a way through the Labyrinth. If the two clash and Nico joined Kronos, this could be trouble.

…

Just after dawn, the quest group met at Zeus' Fist. I packed my knapsack—normal thermos with nectar, baggie of ambrosia, bedroll, rope, clothes, flashlight, and lots of batteries along with the figurine of Hades. I didn't pack any sand dollars since I doubt we need any. I had Riptide in my pocket, my magical thermos strapped to my belt, and the magic shield-wristwatch Tyson had made for me on my wrist.

It was clear morning. The fog had burned off and the sky was blue. Campers would be having their lessons today, flying pegasi and practicing archery and scaling the lava wall. Meanwhile, we would be heading underground.

Juniper and Grover stood apart from the group. Juniper had been crying again, but she was trying to keep it together for Grover's sake. She kept fussing with his clothes, straightening his rasta cap and brushing goat fur off his shirt. Since we had no idea what we would encounter, he was dressed as a human, with the cap to hide his horns, and jeans, fake feet, and sneakers to hid his goat legs.

Chiron, Quintus, and Mrs. O'Leary stood with the other campers who'd come to wish us well, but there was too much activity for it to feel like a happy send-off. A couple of tents had been set up by the rocks for guard duty. Beckendorf and his siblings were working on a line of defensive spikes and trenches. Chiron decided we needed to guard the Labyrinth exit at all times, just in case. Good news, Artemis is sending her Hunters over once they were done with their done with a hunt with a monster that they think knows something about Luke's army.

Annabeth was doing one last check on her supply pack. When Tyson and I came over, she frowned. "Percy, you look terrible."

Before I could reply, Chiron trotted over. "Well, it appears you are ready!"

He tried to sound upbeat, but I could tell he was anxious. I didn't want to freak him out any more, but I thought about last night's dream and before I could change my mind, I said, "Hey, uh Chiron, can I ask you a favor while I'm gone?"

"Of course, my boy."

"Be right back, guys." I nodded toward the woods. Chiron raised an eyebrow, but he followed me out of earshot.

"Last night," I said, "I dreamed about Luke and Kronos." I told him the details leaving out Nico. The news seemed to weigh on his shoulders.

"I fear this," Chiron said. "Against my father, Kronos, we would stand little to no chance in a fight."

Chiron rarely called Kronos his father. I mean, we all knew it was true. Everybody in the Greek world—god, monster, or Titan—was related to one another somehow. But it wasn't exactly something Chiron liked to talk about.

"Do you know what he meant about a bargain?" I asked.

"I am not sure, but I fear they seek to make a deal with Daedalus. If the old inventor is truly alive, if he has not been driven insane by millennia in the Labyrinth… well, Kronos can find ways to twist anyone to his will."

"Not me," I responded.

Chiron managed a smile. "No. Perhaps not you. But, Percy, you must beware. I have worried for some time that Kronos may be looking for Daedalus for a different reason, not just passage through the maze."

I thought of it for a while and my eyes widened, "He wants Daedalus to join so he can be risen completely."

"Possibly worse than that," Chiron said, "Daedalus was the world's greatest inventor. He created the Labyrinth and Automatons. It's possible Kronos wants Daedalus to make him a new form."

That was a real unpleasant thought.

"We've got to get to Daedalus first," I said, "and convince him not to."

Chiron nodded.

"There's one more thing." I told him about what Juniper told me about Quintus poking around the rocks.

Chiron's jaw tightened. "That does not surprise me."

"You knew?"

"Percy, when Quintus showed up at camp offering his services… well, I would have to be a fool not to be suspicious. But sometimes it is better to have someone you mistrust close to you, so that you can keep an eye on him. He may be just what he says: a half-blood in search of a home. Certainly he has done nothing openly that would make me question his loyalty. But believe me, I will keep an eye—"

Annabeth trudged over, probably curious why we were taking so long.

"Percy, you ready?"

I nodded. My hand slipped into my pocket, where I kept the ice whistle Quintus had given me. I looked over and saw Quintus watching me carefully. He raised his hand in farewell.

 _Our spies report success,_ Luke had said. The same day we decided to send a quest, Luke had known about it. "Take care," Chiron told us. "And good hunting."

"You too," I said. We walked over to the rocks, where Tyson and Grover were waiting. I stared at the crack between the boulders—the entrance that was about to swallow us.

"Well," Grover said nervously, "good-bye sunshine."

"Hello rocks," Tyson agreed. And together the four of us descended into the darkness.


	6. We Meet the Roman God with Two Faces

**A/N:** Certain ancient Greek names matches words use of foul language but no foul language was intentionally used. Also if you haven't read them yet read 'The Tales of the Son of Poseidon & the Early Adventures' 'The Tales of the Son of Poseidon & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief' 'The Tales of the Son of Poseidon & the Olympians: The Sea of Monsters' and 'The Tales of the Son of Poseidon & the Olympians: The Titan's Curse' before reading this story. Lastly, any one who wants to do a Demigods and Olympian reads story using 'The Tales of the Son of Poseidon' is allowed _as long as_ you inform me about it.

* * *

 **We Meet the Roman God with Two Faces**

We made it a hundred feet before we were hopelessly lost.

The tunnel looked nothing like the one Annabeth and I had stumbled into before. Now it was round like a sewer, constructed of red brick with iron-barred portholes every ten feet. I shined a light through one of the portholes out of curiosity, but I couldn't see anything. It opened into infinite darkness. I thought I heard voices on the other side, but it may have been just the cold wind.

Annabeth tried her best to guide us. She had this idea that we should stick to the left wall.

"If we keep one hand on the left wall and followed it," she said, "we should be able to find our way out again by reversing course."

Unfortunately, as soon as she said that, the left wall disappeared. We found ourselves in the middle of a circular chamber with eight tunnels leading out, and no idea how we'd gotten there.

"Um, which way did we come in?" Grover said nervously.

"Just turn around," Annabeth said.

We each turned toward a different tunnel. It was ridiculous. None of us could decide which way led back to camp.

"Left walls are mean," Tyson said, "Which way now?"

Annabeth swept her flashlight beam over the archways of the eight tunnels. As far as I could tell they were identical. "That way," she said.

"How do you know?" I asked.

"Deductive reasoning."

"So… you're guessing."

"Just come on," she said.

The tunnel she'd chosen narrowed quickly. The walls turned to gray cement, and the ceiling got so low that pretty soon we were hunching over. Tyson was forced to a crawl.

Grover's hyperventilating was the loudest noise in the maze. "I can't stand it anymore," he whispered. "Are we there yet?"

"We've been down here maybe five minutes," Annabeth told him.

"It's been longer than that," Grover insisted. "And why would Pan be down here? This is the opposite of the wild!"

We kept shuffling forward. Just when I was sure the tunnel would get so narrow it would squish us, it opened into a huge room. I shined my light around the walls and said, "Whoa."

The whole room was covered in mosaic tiles. The pictures were grimy and faded, but I could still make out the colors—red, blue, green, gold. The frieze showed the Olympian gods at a feast. There was my dad, Poseidon, with his trident, holding out grapes for Dionysus to turn into wine. Zeus was partying with satyrs, and Hermes was flying through the air on his winged sandals. The pictures were beautiful, but they weren't very accurate—at least not in Greek terms. I'd seen the gods. Dionysus was not that handsome, and Hermes nose wasn't that big.

In the middle of the room was a three-tiered fountain. It looked like it hadn't held water in a long time.

"It's Roman," Annabeth said. "Those mosaics are about two thousand years old. This is a good sign! Daedalus' workshop would be in the oldest sections."

"So, which way now?" I asked.

"Forward," Annabeth said, "Where it's getting older."

The labyrinth seemed to have moaned when she said that.

"Down the hall with bad sounds," Tyson said nervously.

"Yay," Grover responded sarcastically.

However, when we went through the tunnel, the maze started toying with us again—we went fifty feet and the tunnel turned back to cement, with brass pipes running down the sides. The walls were spray painted with graffiti. A neon tagger sign read MOZ RULZ! But despite that, Annabeth forged ahead.

Every few feet the tunnels twisted and turned and branched off. The floor beneath us changed from cement to mud to bricks and back again. There was no sense to any of it. We stumbled into a wine cellar—a bunch of dusty bottles in wooden racks—like we were walking through somebody's basement, only there was no exit above us, just more tunnels leading on.

Later the ceiling turned to wooden planks, and I could hear voices above us and the creaking of footsteps, as if we were walking under some kind of bar. It was reassuring to hear people, but then again, we couldn't get to them. We were stuck down here with no way out. Then we found our first skeleton.

He was dressed in white clothes, like some kind of uniform. A wooden crate of glass bottles sat next to him.

"A milkman," Annabeth said, "Must have wandered in here by mistake."

"Great," I responded.

Grover gulped. "He's been down here a long time." He pointed to the skeleton's bottles, which were coated with white dust. The skeletons fingers were clawing at the brick wall, like he had died trying to get out.

"Only bones," Tyson said. "Don't worry, goat boy. The milkman is dead."

"The milkman doesn't bother me," Grover said. "It's the smell. Monsters. Can't you smell it?"

Tyson nodded. "Lots of monsters. But underground smells like that. Monsters and dead milk people."

"Oh, good," Grover whimpered. "I thought maybe I was wrong."

"We have to get deeper into the maze," Annabeth said. "There has to be a way to the center."

She led us to the right, then the left, through a corridor of stainless steel like some kind of air shaft, and we arrived back in the Roman title room with the fountain.

This time, we weren't alone.

What I noticed first were his faces. Both of them. They jutted out from either side of his head, staring over his shoulders, so his head was much wider than it should've been, kind of like a hammerhead shark's. Looking straight at him, all I saw were two overlapping ears and mirror-image sideburns.

He was dressed like a New York City doorman: a long black overcoat, shiny shoes, and a black top-hat that somehow managed to stay on his double-wide head.

"Well, Annabeth?" said his left face. "Hurry up!"

"Don't mind him," said the right face. "He's terribly rude. Right this way, miss."

Annabeth's jaw dropped. "Uh… I don't…"

I then realized I recognized him from Hal's book.

Tyson frowned. "That funny man has two faces."

"The funny man has ears, you know!" The left face scolded. "Now come along, miss."

"No, no," the right face said. "This way, miss. Talk to _me_ , please."

Janus regarded Annabeth as best as he could out of the corners of his eyes. It was impossible to look at him straight on without focusing on one side or the other. And suddenly I realized that's what he was asking—he wanted Annabeth to choose.

Behind him were two exits, blocked by wooden doors with huge iron locks. They hadn't been there our first time through. The two-faced doorman held a silver key, which he kept passing from his left hand to his right hand. I wondered if this was a different room completely, but the frieze of the gods looked exactly the same.

Behind us the doorway we'd come through had disappeared, replaced by more mosaics. We wouldn't be going back the way we came.

"The exits are closed," Annabeth said.

"Duh!" the man's left face said.

"Where do they lead?" she asked.

"One probably leads the way you wish to go," the right face said encouragingly. "The other leads to certain death."

That's when I realized who this guy was.

"We know you, Annabeth," the left face said. "We know what you wrestle with every day. We know your indecision. You will have to make your choice sooner or later. And the choice may kill you."

The color drained out of Annabeth's face. "No… I don't—"

"You're Janus!" I responded, "You're the Roman god of beginnings, ends, doorways, and choices."

"You're right!" the right face said. "I'm your best friend."

"I'm your worse enemy," the left face.

"I'll see you soon enough. Perseus Jackson," said the right face. "But for now it's Annabeth's turn." He laughed giddily. "Such fun!"

"Shut up!" his left face said. "This is serious. One bad choice can ruin your whole life. It can kill you and all your friends. But no pressure, Annabeth. Choose!"

With a sudden chill, I remembered the words of the prophecy: _the child of Athena's final stand._

"Don't do it," I said.

"I'm afraid she has to," the right face said cheerfully.

Annabeth moistened her lips. "I—I choose—"

Before she could point to a door, a brilliant light flooded the room.

Janus raised his hands to either side of his head to cover his eyes. When the light died, a woman was standing at the fountain.

She was tall and graceful with long hair the color of chocolate, braided in plaits with gold ribbons. She wore a simple white dress, but when she moved, the fabric shimmered with colors like oil on water.

"Janus," she said, "are we causing trouble again?"

"N-no milady!" Janus' right face stammered.

"Yes!" the left face said.

"Shut up!" The right face said.

"Excuse me?" the woman asked.

"Not you, milady! I was talking to myself."

"I see," the lady said. "You know very well your visit is premature. The girl's time has not yet come. So I give _you_ a choice: leave these heroes to me, or I shall turn _you_ into a door and break you down."

"What kind of door?" the left face asked.

"Shut up!" the right face said.

"Because French doors are nice," the left face mused. "Lots of natural light."

"Shut up!" the right face wailed. "Not you, milady! Of course I'll leave. I was just having a bit of fun. Doing my job. Offering choices."

"Causing indecision," the woman corrected. "Now be gone!"

The left face muttered, "Party pooper," then he raised his silver key, inserted it into the air, and disappeared.

The woman turned toward us, and fear closed around my heart. Her eyes shined with power. _Leave these heroes to me_. That didn't sound good. But then the woman smiled.

"You must be hungry," she said. "Sit with me and talk."

She waved her hand, and the old Roman fountain began to flow. Jets of clear water sprayed into the air. A marble table appeared, laden with platters of sandwiches and pitchers of lemonade.

It didn't take me long to figure out who she was. "Lady Hera!"

…

I'd seen Hera before, during every Council of the Gods I attended, but this is the first time I seen her _not_ twenty feet tall but rather like a regular mom.

She served us sandwiches and poured lemonade.

"Grover, dear," she said, "use your napkin. Don't eat it."

"Yes, ma'am," Grover said.

"Tyson, you're wasting away. Would you like another peanut butter sandwich?"

Tyson stifled a belch. "Yes, nice lady."

"Queen Hera," Annabeth said. "I can't believe it. What are you doing in the Labyrinth?"

Hera smiled. She flicked one finger and Annabeth's hair combed itself. All the dirt and grime disappeared from her face.

"I came to see you, naturally," the goddess said.

Grover and I exchanged nervous looks. Usually when gods come looking for you, it's not out of the goodness of their hearts. It's because they want something.

Still, that didn't keep me from chowing down on turkey-and-Swiss sandwiches and chips and lemonade. I hadn't realized ow hungry I was. Tyson was inhaling one peanut butter sandwich after another, and Grover was loving the lemonade, crunching the Styrofoam cup like an ice-cream cone.

"I didn't think—" Annabeth faltered. "Well, I didn't think you liked heroes."

Hera smiled indulgently. "Because of that little spat I had with Hercules? Honestly, I got so much bad press because of one disagreement."

"Didn't you try to kill him, like, a lot of times?" Annabeth asked.

Hera waved her hand dismissively. "Water under the bridge, my dear. Besides, he was one of my loving husband's children by _another_ woman. My patience wore thin, I'll admit. But Zeus and I have had some excellent marriage counselling sessions since then. We've aired our feelings and come to an understanding—especially after the last two little incidents."

"But it isn't really fare to blame the kids for your husband's cheating ways," I said. "It wasn't really Thalia's or Jason's fault for what Zeus did."

Hera stared at me and I wished I kept my mouth shut.

"Percy Jackson, isn't it? One of Poseidon's… children." I got the feeling she was thinking of another word. "As I recall, I voted to let you live at the last winter solstice. I hoped I voted correctly."

She turned back to Annabeth with a sunny smile. "At any rate, I certainly bear you no ill will, my girl. I appreciate the difficulty of your quest. Especially when you have troublemakers like Janus to deal with."

Annabeth lowered her gaze. "Why was he here? He was driving me crazy."

"Trying to," Hera agreed. "You must understand, the minor gods like Janus have always been frustrated by the small parts they play in the universe. Some, I fear, have little love for Olympus, and could easily be swayed to support the rise of my father."

I wasn't surprise to find out Kronos was Hera's father. When it comes to Kronos' children, the old stories mostly referred do the Big Three: Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades; but actually Kronos had six kids with Rhea—including three daughters: Hera, Demeter, and Hestia.

"We must watch the minor gods," Hera said. "Janus. Hecate. Morpheus. They give lip service to Olympus, and yet—"

"That's where Dionysus went," I remembered. "He was checking on the minor gods."

"Indeed." Hera stared at the fading mosaics of the Olympians. "You see, in times of trouble, even gods can lose faith. They start putting their trust in the wrong things, petty things. They stop looking at the big picture and start being selfish. But I'm the goddess of marriage, you see. I'm used to perseverance. You have to rise above the squabbling and chaos, and keep believing. You have to always keep your goals in mind."

"What are you goals?" Annabeth asked.

She smiled. "To keep my family, the Olympians, together, of course. At the moment, the best way I can do that is by helping you. Zeus does not allow me to interfere much, I am afraid. But once every century or so, for a quest I care deeply about, he allows me to grant a wish."

"A wish?"

"Before you ask it, let me give you some advice, which I can do for free. I know you seek Daedalus. His Labyrinth is as much a mystery to me as it is to you. But if you want to know his fate, I would visit my son Hephaestus at his forge. Daedalus was a great inventor, a mortal after Hephaestus' heart. There was never been a mortal Hephaestus admired more. If anyone would have kept up with Daedalus and tell you his fate, it is Hephaestus."

"But how do we get there?" Annabeth asked. "That's my wish. I want a way to navigate the Labyrinth.

Hera looked disappointed. "So be it. You wish for something, however, that you have already been given."

"I don't understand."

"The means is already within your grasp." She looked at me. "Percy know the answer. Especially from that dream vision you had last night."

I shifted uncomfortably. I remembered Nico's conversation with Harriet Tubman, but I still don't get it.

"But that's not fair," Annabeth said. "You're not telling us what it is!"

Hera shook her head. "Getting something and having the wits to use it… those are two different things. I'm sure your mother Athena would agree."

The room rumbled like distant thunder. Hera stood. "That would be my cue. Zeus grows impatient. Think on what I have said, Annabeth. Seek out Hephaestus. You will have to pass through the ranch, I imagine. But keep going. And use all the means at your disposal, however common they may seem."

She pointed toward the two doors and they melted away, revealing twin corridors, open and dark. "One last thing, Annabeth. I have postponed your day of choice. I have not prevented it. Soon, as Janus said, you _will_ have to make a decision. Farewell!"

She waved a hand and turned into white smoke. So did the food, just as Tyson chomped down on a sandwich that turned to mist in his mouth. The fountain trickled to a stop. The mosaics dimmed and turned grungy and faded again. The room was no longer a place you want to have a picnic.

Annabeth stamped her foot. "What sort of help was that? 'Here, have a sandwich. Make a wish. Oops, I can't help you!' Poof!"

"Poof," Tyson agreed sadly, looking at his empty plate.

"Well," Grover sighed, "she said Percy knows the answer. That's something."

They all looked at me and I shrugged.

"Sorry guys, the only thing I can figure out, it had to do with one of my dream visions I had last night, and I don't understand it myself," I responded.

"What was it?" Annabeth asked.

I told them about Nico summoning the dead and how he summoned Harriet Tubman."

"Harriet Tubman must of had the string during the whole Underground railroad," Annabeth said

"I don't think so," I responded, "It sounded more like she knew her way around before coming across Daedalus."

"At least we know he was alive up until the American Civil War," Annabeth responded.

"Right, so which way should we go now?" I asked.

Both Grover and Tyson tensed. They stood up together, like they'd rehearsed it. "Left," they both said.

Annabeth frowned. "How can you be sure?"

"Because something is coming from the right," Grover said.

"Something big," Tyson agreed. "In a hurry."

It was hard to disagree with a Cyclops and Satyr who both have super sense of hearing—which is not as affected by us being underground as their super sense of smell. So we decided to go left and plunged into the dark corridor.


	7. We Meet the Last Hundred-Handed One

**A/N:** Certain ancient Greek names matches words use of foul language but no foul language was intentionally used. Also if you haven't read them yet read 'The Tales of the Son of Poseidon & the Early Adventures' 'The Tales of the Son of Poseidon & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief' 'The Tales of the Son of Poseidon & the Olympians: The Sea of Monsters' and 'The Tales of the Son of Poseidon & the Olympians: The Titan's Curse' before reading this story. Lastly, any one who wants to do a Demigods and Olympian reads story using 'The Tales of the Son of Poseidon' is allowed _as long as_ you inform me about it.

* * *

 **We Meet the Last Hundred-Handed One**

The good news: the left tunnel was straight with no side exits, twists, or turns. The bad news: it was a dead end. After sprinting a hundred yards, we ran into an enormous boulder that completely blocked our path. Behind us, the sounds of dragging footsteps and heavy breathing echoed down the corridor. Something—definitely not human—was on our tail.

Not wanting to spend too much time trying to find the mark of Daedalus, I turned to Tyson. "Tyson," I said, "can you—"

"Yes!" He slammed his shoulder against the rock so hard the whole tunnel shook. Dust trickled from the stone ceiling.

"Hurry!" Grover said. "Don't bring the roof down, but hurry!"

The boulder finally gave way with a horrible grinding noise. Tyson pushed it into a small room and we dashed through behind it.

"Close the entrance!" Annabeth said.

We all got on the other side of the boulder and pushed. Whatever was chasing us wailed in frustration as we heaved the rock back into place and sealed the corridor.

"We trapped it," I said.

"Or trapped ourselves," Grover said.

I turned. We were in a twenty-foot-square cement room, and the opposite wall was covered with metal bars. We'd tunneled straight into a cell.

Annabeth tugged the bars. They didn't budge. Though the bars we could see rows of cells in a ring around a dark courtyard—at least three stories of metal catwalks.

"A prison," I said. "Maybe Tyson can break—"

"Shh," said Grover. "Listen."

Somewhere above us, deep sobbing echoed through the building. There was another sound, too, a raspy voice muttering something I couldn't make out. The words were strange, like rocks in a tumbler.

"What's that language?" I whispered.

Tyson's eye widened. "Can't be."

"What?"

He grabbed the two bars on our cell door and bent them wide enough for even a Cyclops to slip through.

"Wait!" Grover called.

But Tyson wasn't about to wait. We ran after him. The prison was dark, only a few dim fluorescent lights flickering above.

"I know this place," Annabeth said. "This is Alcatraz."

"That island prison near San Francisco?" I asked.

She nodded. "My school took a field trip here. It's now used as a museum."

As hard as it was to believe, I knew better to ask since Annabeth been living in San Francisco for a while keeping an eye on Mount Tamalpais just across the bay.

"Freeze," Grover warned.

But Tyson kept going. I ended up helping Grover pulled him back with all his strength.

"Stop, Tyson!" Grover whispered. "Can't you see it?"

I looked where he was pointing, and my stomach did a somersault. On the second-floor balcony, across the courtyard, was the most horrible monster I'd ever seen before.

It was sort of like a centaur, with a woman's body from the waist up. But instead of a horse's lower body, it had the body of a dragon—at least twenty feet long, black and scaly with enormous claws and a barbed tail her legs looked like they were tangled in vines, but then I realized they were spouting snakes, hundreds of vipers darting around, constantly looking for something to bite. The woman's hair was also made out of snakes, like Medusa's. Weirdest of all, around her waist, where the woman part met the dragon part, her skin bubbled and morphed, occasionally producing the heads of creatures.

"It's here," Tyson whimpered.

"Get down!" Grover said.

We crouched in the shadows, but the monster wasn't paying us any attention. It seemed to be talking to someone inside a cell on the second floor. That's where the sobbing was coming from. The dragon woman said something in her weird rumbling language.

"What's she saying?" I muttered. "What's that language?"

"The tongue of the old times," Tyson shivered. "What Mother Earth spoke to Titans and… her other children. Before the gods."

I got a good feeling who were the other children, one of them—or I should say three of them—were the eldest Cyclops. It could explain how Tyson knows the language. This ancient language might be hardwired into a Cyclops' brain just as ancient Greek is to demigods.

"Can you translate?" I asked.

I wish I didn't ask because Tyson closed his eye and began to use his Cyclops' ability to mimic voices around him, which in this case was a horrible raspy woman's voice. "You will work for the master or suffer."

Annabeth shuddered. "I hate it when he does that."

I nodded, before I met Tyson, I had two bad experiences with monsters that supposedly mimic human voices—which was one more than Annabeth. My first one was when Luke Thalia and I met Hal who had leucrotas that had the same ability only charmed to speak for Hal whose own voice was cursed. Then again after we met Annabeth, in Brooklyn when we encountered our first rogue Cyclopes.

"I will not serve," Tyson said in a deep, wounded voice.

He switched to the monster's voice: "Then I shall enjoy your pain, Briares." Tyson faltered when he said that name. I'd never heard him break character when he was mimicking somebody, but he let out a strangled gulp. Then he continued in the monster's voice. "If you thought your first imprisonment was unbearable, you have yet to feel true torment. Think on this until I return."

The dragon lady tromped toward the stairwell, vipers hissing around her legs like grass skirts. She spread wings that I hadn't noticed before—huge bat wings she kept folded against her dragon back. She leaped off the walk and soared across the courtyard. We crouched lower in the shadows. A hot sulfurous wind blasted my face as the monster flew over. Then she disappeared around the corner.

"H-h-horrible," Grover said. "I've never smelled any monsters that strong.

"Kampê," Tyson murmured. "Every Cyclops knows her. It's our worse nightmare. Stories about her scares us when we're babies. She was our jailer in the bad years."

Annabeth nodded. "I remember now. When the Titans ruled, they imprisoned Gaea and Ouranos' earlier children—the Cyclopes and the Hekatonkheires."

"The Hundred-handed ones…" I translated as my eyes widened, "Wasn't one of them name Briares?"

Annabeth nodded. "He was one of the three elder brothers of the Cyclopes."

"Very powerful," Tyson said. "Wonderful! As tall as the sky. So strong they could break mountains. But the Kampê, it was their jailer. She worked for Kronos. She kept our brothers locked up in Tartarus, tortured them always, until Zeus came. He killed Kampê and freed Cyclopes and Hundred-Handed Ones to help fight against the Titans in the war.

"And now the Kampê is back, and if she's successful in getting Briares on Kronos' side or worse—" My eyes widened. "We got to break Briares out."

I turned to Annabeth and judging from her expression even she can tell how bad things could be if something happened to Briares or if he joined Kronos. After all, just because some of the Olympians former allies didn't join Kronos the first time doesn't mean they won't this time.

"We better act quickly before the Kampê gets back," Annabeth responded.

As we approached the cell, the weeping got louder. When I first saw the _great_ hundred-handed one Briares, even I was surprise to find what I saw.

He was human-size and his skin was very pale, the color of milk. He wore a loincloth like a diaper. His feet seemed too big for his body, with cracked dirty toenails, eight toes on each foot. But his chest sprouted out a hundred arms, all around his body. The arms looked like normal arms, but they were so many of them, all tangled together, that his chest looked kind like a forkful of spaghetti somebody had twirled together. Several of his hands were covering his face as he sobbed.

Tyson fell to his knees as he called, "Briares!"

The sobbing stopped.

"Great Hundred-Handed One!" Tyson said. "Help us!"

Briares looked up. His face was long and sad, with a crooked nose and bad teeth. He had deep brown eyes with no whites or black pupils, as if they were formed out of clay.

"Run while you can, Cyclops," Briares said miserably. "I cannot even help myself."

"You are a Hundred-Handed one!" Tyson insisted. "You can do anything!"

Briares wiped his nose with five or six hands. Several others were fidgeting with little pieces of metal and wood from a broken bed, the way Tyson always played with spare parts. It was amazing to watch. The hands seemed to have a mind of their own. They built a toy boat out of wood, then disassembled it just as fast. Other hands were scratching at the cement floor for no apparent reason. Others were playing rock paper scissors. A few others were making ducky and doggie shadow puppets against the wall.

"I cannot," Briares moaned. "Kampê is back! The Titans will rise and throw us back into Tartarus."

"Put on your brave face!"

Immediately Briares' face morphed into something else. Same brown eyes, but otherwise totally different features. He had an upturned nose, arched eyebrows, and a weird smile, like he was trying to act brave. But then his face turned back to what it had been before.

"No good," he said. "My scared face keeps coming back.

"It'll be okay, Briares! We will help you!" Tyson said, still entranced. "Can I have your autograph?"

Briares sniffled. "Do you have one hundred pens?"

"Guys," Grover interrupted. "We have to get out of here. Kampê will be back. She'll sense us sooner or later."

"But we can't leave Briares here," I responded.

"Break the bars," Annabeth said.

"Yes!" Tyson said, smiling proudly. "Briares can do it. He is very strong. Stronger than Cyclopes, even! Watch!"

Briares whimpered. A dozen of his hands started playing patty-cake, but none of them made any attempt to break the bars.

I remembered the stories of how the Kampê prisoned the Hundred Handed Ones.

The Hundred-Handed One covered his face again.

"Briares?" Tyson asked. "What… what is wrong? Show us your strength!"

"Tyson," Annabeth said, "I think you'd better break the bars."

Tyson's smile melted slowly.

"I will break the bars," he repeated. He grabbed the cell door and ripped it off its hinges like it was made of wet clay.

"Come on, Briares," Annabeth said. "Let's get you out of here."

She held out her hand. For a second, Briares' face morphed to a hopeful expression. Several of his arms reached out, but twice as many slapped them away.

"I cannot," he said. "She will punish me."

"It's all right," Annabeth promised. "You fought the Titans before, and you won, remember?"

"I remember the war," Briares' face morphed again—furrowed brow and a pouting mouth. His brooding face, I guess. "Lightning shook the world. We threw many rocks. The Titans and the monsters almost won. Now they are getting strong again. Kampê said so."

"Don't listen to her!" I said, "What about your other brothers? Cottus and Gyges, right? Where are they?"

"They faded! We weren't needed anymore, so they disappeared," Briares said.

My heart sank when I heard that. Only way for an immortal being to die is if either humans stopped believing in them all together or if their domain has diminished to that point. They don't simply die, though. Instead the immortals faded from existence.

I tried my hardest to sound upright, "But you're still here, that means Fate still have plans for you."

"To be work with Kronos or locked up until I decide to fade and join my brothers," Briares said.

When Briares said _brothers_ an idea hit me as I remembered something from Hal's book.

"But you're not out of brothers," I said. "You married Kymopoleia, right? Daughter of Poseidon—"

"Goddess of violent storms, and mean wife. Always says mean things about me," Briares said.

"What I'm trying to say is Tyson and I are both sons of Poseidon—which make us your brother-in-laws—your family," I responded, "And we're here to break you out so you won't be forced to join the Titans, or be tortured, or fade. But we can't do it unless you're willing to let your new brothers help you, so how about it?"

I stretched my arm out and this time Briares hesitated.

"This is not a trick, is it?" Briares asked.

"No," I responded, "I promise we won't abandoned you."

"Brother means well," Tyson said, "When brother makes promises, he keeps them."

I hope he believed me, because I wasn't planning to make an oath of the River of Styx when we don't know when the kampê will return, especially since that oath is made, there tend to be thunder and that was the last thing we need since I had to reveal my heritage in order to hopefully gain Briares' trust.

Thankfully Briares took my hand and we helped led him out of the cell.

However, we didn't get far before we could hear the Kampê snarling bellow us.

"The other way," I said.

We bolted down the catwalk, this time finding ourselves following Briares, who had sprinted out front of us with his hundred arms waving in panic.

Behind us, I heard the sound of giant wings as Kampê took the air. She hissed and growled in her ancient language, but I didn't need a translation to know she was planning to kill us.

We scrambled down the stairs, through a corridor, and past a guard's station—out into another block of prison cells.

"Left," Annabeth said. "I remember this from the tour."

We burst outside and found ourselves in the prison yard, ringed by security towers and barbed wire. After being inside so long, the daylight almost blinded me. Tourist were milling around, taking pictures. The wind whipped cold off the bay. In the south, San Francisco gleamed all white and beautiful, but in the north, over Mount Tamalpais, huge storm clouds swirled. The whole sky seemed like a black top spinning from the mountain where Atlas was imprisoned, and where the Titan palace of Mount Othrys was rising anew. Despite all that, due to the Mist, the mortals didn't seem to have noticed.

"It's even worse," Annabeth said, gazing to the north. "The storms have been bad all year, but that—"

"Keep moving," Briares wailed. "She is behind us!"

We ran to the far end of the yard, as far from the cell block as possible.

Just then the wall exploded.

Tourist screamed as Kampê appeared from the dust and rubble, her wings spread out as wide as the yard. She was holding two swords—long bronze scimitars that glowed with a weird greenish aura, boiling wisps of vapor that smelled sour and hot even across the yard.

"Poison!" Grover yelped. "Don't let those thing touch you or you shriveled up slowly to dust and die."

"Briares, fight!" Tyson urged. "Grow to full size!"

Instead, Briares looked like he was trying to shrink even smaller. He appeared to be wearing his _absolutely terrified_ face.

Kampê thundered toward us on her dragon legs, hundreds of snakes slithering around her body.

"Run!" Annabeth ordered.

We ran through the jail yard and out of the gates of the prison, the monster right behind us. Mortals screamed and ran. Emergency sirens began to blare.

We hit the wharf just as a tour boat was unloading. The new group of visitors froze as they saw us charging toward them, followed by a mob of frightened tourist, followed by whatever the Mist made the Kampê looked like.

"The boat?" Grover asked.

"Too slow," Tyson said. "Back in the maze. Only chance."

"We need a diversion," Annabeth said.

Tyson ripped a metal lamppost out of the ground. "I will distract Kampê. Poison will hurt Cyclopes. A lot of pain. But it won't kill me. You run ahead."

I hated the idea. I'd almost lost Tyson once before, and I didn't want to ever risk that again. But there was no time to argue, and none of us had a better idea.

"Stay safe, Tyson," I responded.

"Yes," Tyson responded.

With that, Annabeth, Grover and I each took one of Briares' hands and dragged him toward the concession stands while Tyson bellowed, lowered his pole, and charged Kampê like a jousting knight.

She'd been glaring at Briares, but Tyson got her attention as soon as he nailed her in the chest with the pole, pushing her back into the wall. She shrieked and slashed with her swords, slicing the pole to shreds. Poison dripped in pools around her, sizzling into the cement.

Tyson jumped back as Kampê's hair lashed and hissed, and the vipers around her legs darted their tongues in every direction. A lion popped out of the weird half-formed faces around her waist and roared.

As we sprinted for the cellblocks, the last thing I saw was Tyson picking up a Dippin' Dots stand and throwing it at the Kampê. Ice cream and poison exploded everywhere, all the little snakes in Kampê's hair dotted with tutti-frutti. We dashed back into the jail yard.

"Can't make it," Briares huffed.

"You will make it," I responded.

As we reached the door of the cellblock, I heard an angry roar. I glanced back and saw Tyson running toward us at full speed, Kampê right behind him. She was plastered in ice cream and T-shirts. I guess Tyson threw a souvenir stand at her before coming to us because one of the bear heads on her waist was now wearing a pair of crooked plastic Alcatraz sunglasses.

"Hurry!" Annabeth said.

We finally found the cell we come in, but the back wall was completely smooth—no sign of a boulder or anything.

"Look for the mark!" Annabeth said.

"There!" Grover touched a tiny scratch, and it became a Greek L. The mark of Daedalus glowed blue, and the stone wall grinded open.

Too slowly, Tyson was coming through the cellblock, Kampê's swords lashing out behind him, slicing indiscriminately through the cell bars and stone walls.

"You guys go ahead, I'll help Tyson," I responded as I uncapped my thermos.

Annabeth nodded as she shoved Briares and Grover into the maze.

I headed out of the cell block and faced the Kampê.

I focus all my power into the Thermos, praying to my dad for help. I got the worse churning feeling in my stomach ever as my thermos burst out a powerful blast of water that nearly send me flying backwards.

It hit the Kampê with enough force to cause her to falter as Tyson headed into the cell toward the maze.

I headed in myself, keeping my thermos in full blast until I was safely inside. Then I ended my attack just as the magical stone wall closed itself. The Kampê charged at us, but it was too late as the door was already sealed. The whole tunnel shook as the Kampê pounded against it, roaring furiously. We didn't stick around to play knock, knock, though. We raced into the darkness, and for the first time (and the last) I was glad to be back in the Labyrinth.


	8. We Visit the Demon Dude Ranch

**A/N:** Certain ancient Greek names matches words use of foul language but no foul language was intentionally used. Also if you haven't read them yet read 'The Tales of the Son of Poseidon & the Early Adventures' 'The Tales of the Son of Poseidon & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief' 'The Tales of the Son of Poseidon & the Olympians: The Sea of Monsters' and 'The Tales of the Son of Poseidon & the Olympians: The Titan's Curse' before reading this story. Lastly, any one who wants to do a Demigods and Olympian reads story using 'The Tales of the Son of Poseidon' is allowed _as long as_ you inform me about it.

Sorry about the delay. For those who haven't read 'The Legacy of Athena and Hermes and the Lightning Thief' a few weeks ago, my dad been in a bad car wreck and I been busy helping out. My dad is doing much better now, but I still need to help out here some more.

* * *

 **We Visit the Demon Dude Ranch**

We finally stopped in a room full of waterfalls, which is a good thing because I was exhausted from using so much power on the Kampê. The floor was one big pit, ringed by a slippery stone walkway. Around us, on all four walls, water tumbled from huge pipes. The water spilled down into the pit, and even when I shined a light, I couldn't see the bottom.

Briares slumped against the wall. He scooped up water in a dozen hands and washed his face. "This pit goes straight to Tartarus," he murmured. "I should jump in and save you trouble."

"Don't talk that way," Annabeth told him. "You can come back to camp with us. You can help us prepare. You know more about fighting Titans than anybody."

"I have nothing to offer," Briares said. "I have lost everything."

"That's not true," I said, "I told you back in Alcatraz, Tyson and I can be your brothers."

"Yeah!" Tyson agreed.

"N0, I must go. I need to go," Briares said.

"Kronos' army will invade camp," Tyson said. "We need help."

Briares hung his head. "I cannot, Cyclops.

"You are strong."

"Not anymore."

"You really want the Titans to ruin everything you and your brothers help the Olympians worked for?" I asked.

"Percy," Annabeth said.

"No, I tried to be brotherly about this, but now Briares needs to hear this," I responded as I gripped my necklace. "For almost three years we have been risking everything to stop Kronos and have suffered cause of it. I don't know about you, Briares, but none of us have given up, nor we're not planning to let our camp or Olympus or everyone we cared about fade _or_ die without fighting."

Briares' pure brown eye regarded me. His face morphed into an expression I recognized—shame. Then he turned and trudged off down the corridor until he was lost in the shadows.

Tyson sobbed.

"It's okay." Grover hesitantly patted his shoulder, which must've taken all his courage.

Tyson sneezed. "It is not okay, goat boy. He was my hero."

Finally Annabeth stood and shouldered her backpack. "Come on, guys. This pit is making me nervous. Let's find a better place to camp out for the night."

We settled in a corridor made of huge marble blocks. It looked like it could've been part of a Greek tomb, with bronze torch holders fastened to the walls. It had to be an older part of the maze, and Annabeth decided this was a good sign.

"We must be close to Daedalus' workshop," she said. "Get some rest, everybody. We'll keep going in the morning.

"How do we know when it's morning?" Grover asked.

"Just rest," she insisted.

Grover didn't need to be told twice. He pulled a heap of straw out of his pack, ate some of it, made a pillow out of the rest, and was snoring in no time. Tyson took longer getting to sleep. He tinkered with some metal scraps from his building kit for a while whatever he was making, he wasn't happy with it. He kept disassembling the pieces.

"It'll be okay, Tyson," I responded, "Briares was just scared. Hopefully he'll get over it."

"He is not strong," Tyson said. "He is not important anymore."

"I'm sure he is still important," I responded. "He just need to realize how important he is."

I said that I thought back to how scared Halcyon Green was when it came to fighting the leucrota or looking into the future, but in the end, Hal died a hero he was meant to be, even if the Olympians might not see it that way. I just hope Briares realized it before he decided to fade away.

Tyson heaved a big sad sigh, then closed his eye. The metal pieces fell out of his hand, still unassembled, and Tyson began to snore.

I tried to fall asleep, but I couldn't. Something about getting chased by Kampê made it real hard to relax. I picked up my bedroll and dragged it over to where Annabeth was sitting, keeping watch.

I sat down next to her.

"You should sleep," she said.

"Can't. You doing all right?"

"Sure. First day leading the quest. Just great."

"We'll get there," I said. "We'll find the workshop before Luke does."

She brushed her hair out of her face. She had a smudge dark on her chin and, although she tried to hide it, a scared expression that reminded me of the day when we met. Back when we were seven and she tried to kill me with a hammer thinking I was some kind of monster.

"I just wish the quest was _logical_ ," she complained. "I mean, we're traveling but we have no idea where we'll end up. How can you walk from New York to California in a day.

"I don't think we been down here in a day, too be honest," I responded. "Something about this place—the time and space of the place—I don't know. It feels like we're back in the Lotus Casino."

Annabeth nodded. "I was kidding myself. All the planning and reading, I don't have a clue where we're going."

"It'll be fine," I responded. "We been through rougher spots than this. I just wish I can make heads or tails out of my dream vision with Nico and Harriet Tubman. That might be our clue to navigating through here."

"You think Nico understood?" Annabeth asked.

I shrugged. "I couldn't tell. There was some kind of disturbance in his summoning. Apparently he can't keep it up too long without some kind of underworld interference. I'm more worried about that voice with him."

"You think it might be the Titan Lord or one of the others?" Annabeth asked.

"I don't know. It didn't sound like Kronos, but then again we don't know what the other Titans sound like," I responded.

Annabeth nodded as we sat in silence, listening to strange creaks and groans in the maze, the echo of stones grinding together as tunnels charged, grew, and expanded. The dark made me think about that dream.

"How about I take first watch?" I said. "I'll wake you if anything happens."

Annabeth looked like she wanted to protest, but she just nodded, slumped onto her bedroll, and closed her eyes.

When it was my turn to sleep, I dreamed I was back in the old man's Labyrinth prison.

It looked more like a workshop now. Tables were littered with measuring instruments. A forge burned red hot in the corner. The boy I'd seen in the last dream was stoking the bellows, except he was taller now, almost my age. A weird funnel device was attached to the forge's chimney, trapping the smoke and heat and channeling it though a pipe into the floor, next to a bronze manhole cover.

It was daytime. The sky above was blue, but the walls of the maze cast deep shadows across the workshop. After being in tunnels so long, I found it weird that part of the Labyrinth could be open to the sky. Somehow that made the maze seem like an even crueler place.

The old man looked sickly. He was terribly thin, his hands saw and red from working. White hair covered his eyes, and his tunic was smudged with grease. He was bent over a table, working on some kind of long metal patch-work—like a swath of chain mail. He picked up a delicate curl of bronze and fitted it in place.

"Done," he announced. "It's done."

He picked up his project. It was so beautiful, my heart leaped—metal wings constructed from thousands of interlocking bronze feathers. There were two sets. One still lay on the table. Daedalus stretched the frame, and the wings expanded to twenty feet.

Now, if anyone else saw this and didn't the story of Daedalus they would naturally think, _There's no way that could fly, it's too heavy._

But if these wings are the same ones I think they are, then all I have to say: They're wrong.

The boy left the bellows and ran over to see. He grinned, despite the fact that he was grimy and sweaty. "Father, you're a genius!"

The old man smiled. "Tell me something I don't know, Icarus. Now hurry. It will take at least an hour to attach them. Come."

"You first," Icarus said.

The old man protested, but Icarus insisted. "You made them, Father. You should get the honor of wearing them first."

The boy attacked the leather harness to his father's chest, like climbing gear, with straps that ran from his shoulders to his wrists. Then he began fastening on the wings, using a metal canister that looked like an enormous hot-glue gun.

"The wax compound should hold for several hours," Daedalus said nervously as his son worked. "But we must let it set first. And we would do well to avoid flying too high or too low. The sea would wet the wax seals—"

"And the sun's heat would loosen them," the boy finished. "Yes, Father. We've been through this a million times!"

"One cannot be too careful."

"I have complete faith in your inventions, Father! No one has ever been as smart as you."

The old man's eyes shone. It was obvious he loved his son more than anything in the world. "Now I will do your wings, and give mine a chance to set properly. Come!"

It was slow going. The old man's hands fumbled with the straps. He had a hard time keeping the wings in position while he sealed them. His own metal wings seemed to weigh him down, getting in his way while he tried to work.

"Too slow," the old man muttered. "I am too slow."

"Take your time, Father," the boy said. "The guards aren't due until—"

BOOM!

The workshop doors shuddered. Daedalus had barred them from the inside with a wooden brace, but still they shook on their hinges.

"Hurry!" Icarus said.

BOOM! BOOM!

Something heavy was slamming into the doors. The brace held, but a crack appeared in the left door.

Daedalus worked furiously. A drop of hot wax spilled onto Icarus' shoulder. The boy winced but did not cry out. When his left wing was sealed to the straps, Daedalus began working on the right.

"We must have more time," Daedalus murmured. "They are too early! We need more time for the seal to hold."

"It'll be fine," Icarus said, as his father finished the right wing. "Help me with the manhole—"

 _CRASH!_ The doors splintered and the head of a bronze battering ram emerged through the breach. Axes cleared the debris, and two armed guards entered the room, followed by the king with the golden crown and the spear-shaped beard.

"Well, well," the king said with a cruel smile. "Going somewhere?"

Daedalus and his son froze, their metal wings glimmering on their backs.

"We're leaving, Minos," the old man said.

King Minos chuckled. "I was curious to see how far you'd get on this little project before I dashed your hopes. I must say I'm impressed."

The King admired their wings. "You look like metal chickens he decided. Perhaps we should pluck you and make a soup."

The guards laughed stupidly.

"Metal chickens," one repeated. "Soup."

"Shut up," the king said. Then he turned again to Daedalus. "You let my daughter escape, old man. You drove my wife to madness. You killed my monster and made me the laughingstock of the Mediterranean. You will never escape me!"

Icarus grabbed the wax gun and sprayed it at the king, who stepped back in surprise. The guards rushed forward, but each got a stream of hot wax in his face.

"The vent!" Icarus yelled to his father.

"Get them!" King Minos raged.

Together, the old man and his son pried open the manhole cover, and a column of hot air blasted out of the ground. The king watched, incredulous, as the inventor and son shot into the sky on their bronze wings, carried by the updraft.

"Shoot them!" the king yelled, but his guards had brought no bows. One threw his sword in desperation, but Daedalus and Icarus were already out of reach. They wheeled above the maze and the king's palace, then zoomed across the city of Knossos and out past the rocky shores of Crete.

Icarus laughed. "Free, Father! You did it."

The boy spread his wings to their full limit and soared away on the wind.

"Wait!" Daedalus called. "Be careful!"

But Icarus was already out over the open sea, heading north and delighting in their good luck. He soared up and scared an eagle out of its flight path, then plummeted toward the sea like he was born to fly, pulling out of a nosedive at the last second. His sandals skimmed the waves.

"Stop that!" Daedalus called. But the wind carried his voice away. His son was drunk on his own freedom.

The old man struggled to catch up, gliding clumsily after his son.

They were miles from Crete, over deep sea, when Icarus looked back and saw his father's worried expression.

Icarus smiled. "Don't worry, Father! You're a genius! I trust your handiwork—"

The first metal feather shook loose from his wings and fluttered away. Then another. Icarus wobbled in midair. Suddenly he was shedding bronze feathers, which twirled away from him like a flock of frightened birds.

"Icarus!" his father cried. "Glide! Extend the wings. Stay as still as possible!"

But Icarus flapped his arms, desperately trying to reassert control.

The left wing went first—ripping away from the straps.

"Father!" Icarus cried. And then he fell, the wings stripped away until he was just a boy in a climbing harness and a white tunic, his arms extended in a useless attempt to glide.

I woke with a start, feeling like I was falling. The corridor was dark. In the constant moaning of the Labyrinth, I thought I could hear the anguish cry of Daedalus calling his son's name, as Icarus, his only joy, plummeted toward the sea, three hundred feet below.

There was no morning in the maze, but everyone woke up and had a fabulous breakfast of granola bars and juice boxes, we kept traveling. I mention my dream to Annabeth. As scary as it was, I didn't want to risk keeping info that might help us on this quest.

Annabeth nodded sadly, "Sound about what happened."

"Yeah, that's what scares me," I admitted. "Why am I even getting these dreams?"

Annabeth shrugged, "Maybe Morpheus is trying to show you something."

Morpheus was the minor god of dreams and son of Hypnos: God of Sleep. It's rare, but from what I been told sometimes we get one of their half-blood kids.

The old stone tunnels changed to dirt with cedar beams, like a gold mine or something. At this point I'm not surprise by the constant changes of the Labyrinth, but Annabeth started getting agitated.

"This isn't right," she said. "It should still be stone."

We came to a cave where stalactites hung low from the ceiling. In the center of the dirt was a rectangular pit, like a grave.

Grover shivered. "It smelled like the Underworld in here."

Then I saw something glinting at the edge of the pit—a foil wrapper. I shined my flashlight into the hole and saw a half-chewed cheeseburger floating in brown carbonated muck.

"Nico," I said. "He was summoning the dead again, probably trying to find out more information."

Tyson whimpered. "Ghost were here. I don't like ghosts."

"We've got to find him," I said, "He can't be too far."

Annabeth reluctantly nodded as we headed off, ducking into a tunnel only to see light ahead. When we looked up, we were staring at daylight through a set of bars above our head. We were under a steel grate made out of metal pipes. I could see trees and blue sky.

"Where are we?" I wondered.

Then a shadow fell across the grate and a cow stared down at me. It looked like a normal cow except it was bright red, like a cherry. The only cows I knew of that color was the sacred cows of Apollo.

The cow mooed, put one hoof tentatively on the bars, then backed away.

"It's a cattle guard," Grover said. 'They put them at the gates of ranches so cows can't get out. They can't walk on them. They're annoying."

I turned to Annabeth. "Didn't Hera say something about a ranch? We need to check it out. Nico might be up there."

Annabeth nodded, "But how do we get out?"

Tyson solved that problem by hitting the cattle guard with both hands. It popped off and went flying out of sight. We heard a _CLANG!_ and a startled _Moo!_ Tyson blushed.

"Sorry, cow!" he called.

Then he gave us a boost out of the tunnel.

We were on a ranch, all right. Rolling hills stretched to the horizon, dotted with oak trees and cactuses and boulders. A barbed wire fence ran from the gate in either direction. Apollo's sacred cows roamed around, grazing on clumps of grass.

"Why are there so many sacred Cows of Apollo here?" I asked.

"Wait," Grover said, "Listen."

At first everything seemed quiet… but then I heard it: the distant baying of dogs. The sound got louder. Then the underbrush rustled, and a dog with two heads jumped out. It looked like a greyhound, long and snaky and sleek brown, but its neck V'd into two heads, both of them snapping and snarling ad generally not very glad to see us.

"Bad Janus dog!" Tyson cried.

 _"Arf!"_ Grover told it, and raised a hand in greeting.

The two headed dog bared its teeth. I guess it wasn't impressed that Grover could speak animal, but I can't help but get this feeling that something about the way the dog was glaring at us and growling seemed familiar.

The its master lumbered out of the woods, and I realized the dog was the least of our problems.

He was a huge guy with stark white hair, a straw cowboy hat, and a braided white beard—kind of like Father Time, if Father Time went redneck and got totally jacked. He was wearing jeans, a DON'T MESS WITH TEXAS T-shirt, and a denim jacket with the sleeves ripped off so you could see his muscles. On his right bicep was a crossed swords tattoo. He held a wooden club about the size of a nuclear warhead, with six inch spikes bristling at the business end.

"Heel, Orthus," he told the dog.

The dog growled at us once more, just to make his feelings clear, then circled back to his master's feet. The man looked us up and down, keeping his club ready.

I thought of the name Orthus as something about it sound familiar.

"What've we got here?" he asked. "Cattle rustlers?"

"Just travelers," Annabeth said. "We're on a quest."

The man's eye twitched. "Half-bloods, eh?"

"Yes," Annabeth put her hand on my arm. "I'm Annabeth, daughter of Athena. This Percy, son of Poseidon. Grover the Satyr. Tyson the—"

"Cyclops," the man finished. "Yes, I can see that."

That's when it dawn to me. "Orthus, the two headed dog-brother of Cerberus," I said, "That would make you Eurytion, son of Ares, right?"

Eurytion smirked. "That's right. I'm surprise you know me. Not many people know me—well except maybe through my boss."

I wanted to reach for my sword, or at least my thermos, and not just because this guy is the son of my least favorite god, but rather because I knew his story and I knew who he was working for.

"Relax sonny, if I want to kill you, I would have done it the moment I saw you," Eurytion said. "You came through the Labyrinth like the other one, I reckon."

"The other one?" I asked. "You mean Nico di Angelo?"

"We get a load of visitors from the Labyrinth," Eurytion said darkly. "Not many ever leave."

The cowherd glanced behind him like someone was watching. Then he lowered his voice. "I'm only going to say this once, demigods. Get back in the maze now. Before it's too late."

"We're not leaving," Annabeth insisted. "Not until we see this other demigod. Please."

Eurytion grunted. "Then you leave me no choice, missy. I've got to take you to see the boss."

I didn't want to see his _boss_ , but if Nico was here, we need to find him. Eurytion walked alongside us with his club across his shoulder. Orthus the two-headed dog growled a lot and sniffed at Grover's legs and shot into the bushes once in a while to chase animals, but Eurytion kept him more or less under control.

We walked down a dirt path that seemed to go on forever. It must've been close to a hundred degrees, which was a shock after San Francisco. Heat shimmered off the ground. Insects buzzed in the trees. Before we'd gone very far, I was sweating like crazy. Flies swarmed us. Every so often we'd see a pen full of red cows or of creatures you only hear of in the Greek or Roman stories. Once we passed a corral where the fence was coated with asbestos. Inside a herd of fire-breathing horses milled around. The hay in their feeding trough was on fire. The ground smoked around their feet, but the horses seemed tamed enough. One big stallion looked at me and whinnied, a columns of red flame billowing out of his nostrils.

"Those are the Fire-breathing steeds of Ares," I said.

"That's right," Eurytion said, "We keep many creatures for important clients: Ares, Apollo, Diomedes—others."

"Others?" Annabeth asked.

"No more questions."

Finally we came out of the woods. Perched on a hill above us was a big ranch house—all white stone and wood and big windows.

"It looks like a Frank Lloyd Wright!" Annabeth said which I figured was a type of architect.

"Don't break the rules," Eurytion warned us as we walked up the steps to the front porch. "No fighting. No drawing weapons. And don't make any comments about the boss's appearance."

Before any of us could respond, a new voice said, "Welcome to the Triple G Ranch."

The man on the porch had a normal head, which was a relief. His face was weathered and brown from years in the sun. He had slick black hair and a black pencil moustache like villains have in old movies. He smiled at us but the smile wasn't friendly; more amused, like _Oh boy, more people to torture!_

But what made me skittish was that he had three bodies attach to one neck. The middle chest looked like normal, but the other two chest were on either side, connected at the shoulders , with a few inches in between. His left arm grew out of his left chest, and the same on the right. So he had two arms, but four armpits, and the chests were all connected into one enormous torso, with two regular beefy legs, and he wore most oversized pair of Levis I'd ever seen. His chests each wore a different color Western shirt—green, yellow, red, like a stop light.

The cowherd Eurytion nudged me. "Say hello to Mr. Geryon."

Geryon, as in the grandson of Medusa and Poseidon, I thought with a chill down my back, not that I can't help it. I've long accepted that I'm related so some monsters and mystical creatures' like horses, Pegasi, and Hippocampi, and the Cyclopes that worked in the forges in Poseidon's domain. But there were still some monsters out there that are either my siblings, or in Geryon's case: nieces and nephews that makes me think, _really?_

"Hi," I said. "Nice—uh—ranch you have here."

Before the three-bodied man could respond, Nico di Angelo came out of the glass doors onto the porch. "Geryon, I won't wait for—"

He froze when he saw us. "What are you doing here?"

"Apparently looking for you," I said. "Bianca asked me to look after you."

Nico's expression seemed to have darkened. "Why would she care? She has a new family with those hunters."

"Now, now, Mr. di Angelo. I'm sure Percy Jackson, Annabeth chase, and their monster friends don't mean harm."

"Monster friends?" Grover said indignantly.

"That man is wearing three shirts," Tyson said, like he was just realizing this.

"Wait a minute." Annabeth pointed at Geryon. "How do you know our names?"

The three-bodied man winked. "I made it my business to keep informed, darlin'. Everybody pops into the ranch from time to time. Everyone needs something from ole Geryon."

I looked at Nico over. He seemed thinner and paler than in my dream visions. It didn't seem like he'd eaten in the last week. His clothes were dusty from traveling in the Labyrinth, and his dark eyes were full of anger but at the same time confuse, like he was debating whether to believe me or not about his sister.

"Look, Nico, Bianca still cares about you. That's why she didn't join the hunters until she knew you were in good hands," I explained.

"Good hands? The camp treated me like an outcast the moment they found out who my dad was," Nico said.

"I'll admit, they shouldn't have done that," I responded. "But you running off didn't help your situation any better than when you were claimed, and leaving your father's domain only left you wide open for even greater threats! Or did you forget about Dr. Thorn's threat last winter?"

There was a moment of silence and tension before Geryon broke it by saying, "Now, now. Make nice children and I'll be happy to give you a tour."

Nico and I reluctantly agreed, not that we had much of a choice, but I knew this wasn't over, and I know he knows it too.

Geryon had a trolley thing—like one of those kiddie trains that take you around zoos. It was painted black and white in a cowhide pattern. The driver's car had a set of longhorns stuck to the hood, and the horn sounded like a cowbell.

Nico sat in the very back, probably so he could keep an eye on us. Eurytion crawled in next to him with his spiked club and pulled his cowboy hat over his eyes like he was going to take a nap. Orthus jumped in the front seat next to Geryon and began barking happily in two-part harmony.

Annabeth, Tyson, Grover, and I took the middle two cars.

"I'm surprise we're getting a tour," I said, "No offense Mr. Geryon, but from what I read about you, you're not known for being _kind_ to visitors unless they're paying."

Geryon laughed. "No offense taken, Mr. Jackson. I will admit, my reputation wasn't always the greatest, especially after that one hero took some of my charges, but it was thanks to his fame that the business been better than it ever was in centuries, and as long as they follow the rules, I'm all too happy to welcome visitors and give them tour."

Something about the way he looked when he said that made me doubt he was telling the truth, or at least the full story, but I kept it to myself.

"Now, we have a huge operation!" Geryon boasted as the moo-mobile lurched forward. "Horses and cattle mostly, but all sorts of exotic varieties too."

We came over a hill, and Annabeth gasped. "Hippalektryons? I thought they were extinct!"

I looked forward to get a good look at what Annabeth was talking about. Sure enough, at the bottom of the hill was a fenced-in pasture with a dozen of creatures that had the front halves of a horse and the back half of a rooster. Their rear feet were huge yellow claws. They had feathery tails and red wings. I heard of Hippalekytons, but this is the first time I seen them, and it was amazing. Two of them reared up on their back legs and whinnied and flapped their wings at each other in a fight over a pile of seeds.

"Rooster ponies," Tyson said in amazement. "Do they lay eggs?"

"Once a year!" Geryon grinned in the rearview mirror. "Very much in demand for omelettes!"

"That's horrible!" Annabeth said. "They must be an endanger species!"

Geryon waved his hand. "Gold is gold, darling. And you haven't tasted the omelets."

"That's not right," Grover murmured.

We passed by the fire-breathing steeds again where Geryon told us was bread for war. At first I was suspicious until I saw something that made my stomach sank.

Outside the pen was a familiar goat with curlicue horns like a ram but the swollen goat udders of a girl goat. Her shaggy gray fur was glowing like clouds of neon which made her look ghostly. As if sensing us, she looked up and straight at me and my stomach dropped.

"Amaltheia—" I said.

"You said something kid?" Geryon asked.

I look again and saw she was gone.

"Nothing," I lied.

Geryon must have decided to change topics, because he said, "Over yonder, of course, are our prize red cows."

Sure enough, hundreds of the sacred cows of Apollo were grazing the side of a hill.

"So many," Grover said.

"Yes, well, Apollo is too busy to see to them," Geryon explained, "so he subcontracts to us. We breed them vigorously because there's such a demand."

"For what?" I asked.

Geryon raised an eyebrow. "Meat, of course! Armies have to eat."

"You kill the sacred cows of the sun god for hamburger meat?" Grover said. "That's against the ancient laws!"

"Oh, don't get so work up, satyr. They're just animals."

"Just animals!"

"Yes, and if Apollo cared, I'm sure he would tell us."

"If he knew," I muttered, just as miffed as Grover at this point.

Nico sat forward. "I don't care about any of this, Geryon. We had business to discuss, and this wasn't it!"

"All in good time, Mr. di Angelo. Look over here; some of my exotic game."

The next field was ringed in barbed wire. The whole area was crawling with giant scorpions.

"Tripple G Ranch," I said, suddenly remembering. "Your mark was on the crates at camp. Quintus got his scorpions from you."

"Quintus…" Geryon mused. "Short gray hair, muscular, swordsman?"

"Yeah."

"Never heard of him," Geryon said. "Now, over here are my prize stables!" You must see them."

I didn't need to see them, because as soon as we got within three hundred yards I started to smell them. Stables lined one side of it. About a hundred horses were milling around in the muck—and when I say muck, I mean horse poop. It was the most disgusting thing I'd ever seen, like a poop blizzard had come through and dumped four feet of the stuff overnight. The horses were really gross from wading through it, and the stables were just as bad. It reeked like you would not believe—worse than the garbage boats on the East River. I hate to say this, but the stables makes my ex-step-father Gabe Ugliano look clean.

Even Nico gagged. "What _is_ that?"

"My stables!" Geryon said. "Well, actually they belong to Aegeas, but we watch over them for a small monthly fee. Aren't they lovely?"

"They're disgusting!" Annabeth said.

"Lots of poop," Tyson observed.

"How can you keep animals like that?" Grover cried.

"Y'all getting' on my nerves," Geryon said. "These are flesh-eating horses, see? They like these conditions."

"Plus, you're too cheap to have them cleaned," Eurytion mumbled from under his hat.

"I'm guessing those who tries want a pay raise once they gets a whiff of this place?" I asked.

"Yep," Eurytion replied.

"Quiet!" Geryon snapped. "All right, perhaps the stables are a bit challenging to clean. Perhaps they do make me nauseous when the wind blows the wrong way. But so what? My clients still pay me well."

"What clients?" I demanded.

"Oh, you'd be surprised how many people will pay for a flesh-eating horse. They make great garbage disposals. Wonderful way to terrify your enemies. Great at birthday parties! We rent them out all the time."

"You're a monster," Annabeth decided.

"You have to let these animals go," Grover said. "It's not right!"

"And the clients you keep talking about," Annabeth said. "You work for Kronos, don't you? You're supplying his army with horses, food, whatever they need."

Geryon shrugged, which looked weird since he had three sets of shoulders, and stopped the moo-mobile. "I worked for anyone with gold, young lady. I'm a businessman. And I sell them anything I have to offer."

He climbed out of the moo-mobile and strolled toward the stables, as if enjoying the fresh air. It would've been a nice view, with the river and the trees and hills and all, except for the quagmire of horse muck.

Nico got out of the back car and stormed over to Geryon. The cowherd Eurytion wasn't as sleepy as he looked. He hefted his club and walked after Nico. I got up and headed after them as well.

"I came here for business, Geryon," Nico said. "And you haven't answer me."

"Mmm." Geryon examined a cactus. His left arm reached over and scratched his middle chest. "Yes, you'll get a deal all right."

"My ghost told me you could help. He said you could guide us to the soul we need."

"Where is your ghost friend?" I asked him.

"Yes, Mr. di Angelo, where is he?" Geryon asked.

Nico looked uneasy. "He can't form in broad daylight. It's hard for him. But he's around somewhere."

Geryon smiled. "I'm sure. Minos likes to disappeared when things get… difficult.

" _Minos_?" I responded remembering him from my dreams and the stories as I turned to Nico, "The King of Crete who led Athenians to their deaths in exchange of peace over his son's death, Minos? He's the one giving you advice?"

"It's none of your business, Percy!" Nico turned back to Geryon. "And what do you mean about things getting difficult?"

The three-bodied man sighed. "Well you see, Nico—can I call you Nico?"

"No."

"You see, Nico, Luke Castellan is offering very good money for half-bloods. Especially powerful half-bloods. And I'm sure when he learns that I got you, he'll pay very, very well indeed."

Nico drew his sword, a dark blade sword like in my dreams, but Eurytion knocked it out of his hand. I reached for my sword but Orthus jumped in front of me and growled at me.

"Eurytion, if you would be so kind, secure Nico," Geryon said.

The cowherd spit into the grass. "Do I have to?"

"Yes, you fool!"

Eurytion looked bored, but he wrapped one arm around Nico and lifted him up like a wrestler as well as Nico's sword, carefully as if he fear the blade.

"Now," Geryon said cheerfully, "we've had the tour. Let's go back to the lodge, have some lunch, and send an Iris-message to our friends in the Titan army."

I thought back to Amaltheia. I was sure that was her I saw, and I bet she was here for a reason.

"Not so fast," I responded, "I want to make a deal for Nico's freedom!"

Geryon narrowed his eyes. "What sort of deal? Do you have gold?"

"I got something better than a gold, a barter," I said, wanting to kick myself for doing this.

"Mr. Jackson, you've nothing to barter," Geryon said

"I could clean your stables in a day," I said. "In exchange you let Nico go with us. If I fail you can turn me in to Luke with Nico."

"No!" Nico screamed. "Don't do it Percy."

Geryon chuckled. "Percy Jackson, those stables haven't been cleaned in a thousand years."

"Maybe so, but I know Luke well enough that I bet he would pay double for two children of the Big Three," I said. "And if I succeed you'll be able to sell more stable space without the smell and poop driving customers away. Either way, it's a win-win situation."

Geryon seemed to hesitated. "All right, I'll accept your offer, but you have to get it done by sunset—and without that thermos of yours."

I hesitated for a second. "Fine. "Then we have a deal?"

He nodded. "I'm going to take your friends with me, back to the lodge. We'll wait for you there. And to make sure you don't cheat, give Eurytion your thermos."

Eurytion gave me a funny look. It might have been sympathy. I reluctantly removed my thermos from my belt and handed it to him and in return Eurytion called off Orthus who jumped on Annabeth, who was still on the Moo-mobile with Tyson and Grover, causing her to yelp. I knew Tyson and Grover would never try anything as long as Annabeth was a hostage.

"Get it done by sunset," Geryon said as he got behind the driver's seat. "No later."

Eurytion hauled Nico into the backseat as Geryon laughed at me once more.

Annabeth shot me a look that told me I better know what I'm doing.

Geryon sounded his cowbell horn, and the moo-mobile rumbled off down the trail with Eurytion holding my thermos. What have I gotten myself into?


	9. What Have I Gotten Myself Into?

**A/N:** Certain ancient Greek names matches words use of foul language but no foul language was intentionally used. Also if you haven't read them yet read 'The Tales of the Son of Poseidon & the Early Adventures' 'The Tales of the Son of Poseidon & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief' 'The Tales of the Son of Poseidon & the Olympians: The Sea of Monsters' and 'The Tales of the Son of Poseidon & the Olympians: The Titan's Curse' before reading this story. Lastly, any one who wants to do a Demigods and Olympian reads story using 'The Tales of the Son of Poseidon' is allowed _as long as_ you inform me about it.

* * *

 **What Have I Gotten Myself Into?**

Agreeing to leave my thermos behind had to be one of the most dumbest moves I made.

As I got closer to the fence I held my shirt over my nose to block the smell. One stallion waded through the muck and whinnied angrily at me. He bared his teeth, which were pointed like a bear's.

I used my powers to communicate with the horse mentally.

 _Hi,_ I told him. _I'm Percy Jackson, son of Poseidon, and I'm going to clean your stables. Won't that be great?_

 _Yes!_ One horse said. _Come inside! Eat you! Tasty half-blood!_

 _Bring Poseidon in too, we'll eat both of you!_ Said another.

 _Seafood!_ Said another.

I guess I shouldn't be surprise. I heard the stories of how these guys ate their own master after Hercules threw him to the beast.

"Well, I'll need a new plan," I responded as I tried to think of someway to clean this place.

I remember the first day I got my thermos, how Chiron told me about sea fossils that coated the inside of my thermos but I had no way to find it.

Suddenly my train of thought was disturbed by a, "Blaaah!" in the distance

I turned to see Amaltheia standing there. The goat blaaahed again, which I couldn't understand. She kept pointing to the river side. I remember how Amalthea Luke Thalia and me to Hal's place and what Thalia said how the goat helped her out. I doubt Zeus send her, but I thought of how Hera said she was willing to give Annabeth advice.

 _Amalthea, did Hera send you?_ I thought.

Deciding to take risk, I headed down to the goat. But the moment I got close to the river the goat mysteriously disappeared in a thundercloud.

"Great, now what," I said.

"Oh no you don't," said another voice.

I turned to see a girl wearing jeans and a green t-shirt and her long brown hair was braided with river grass. She had a stern look on her face. Her arms were crossed. My guess was she was the Naiad of this river.

"What?" I asked.

She rolled her eyes. "You're trying to clean the stables, right? Well, you can't use my river. Not after what the last guy did."

I rubbed my forehead. "Let me guess, the last guy was Hercules?"

"That's right! Why?"

I didn't answer as I thought, _What's up with that guy angering nymphs?_

Last winter I had a dream vision of the History of my sword Riptide and it's connection between Hercules and the late huntress of Artemis and former Hesperides: Zoë Nightshade, before she joined the hunt may I add; and needless to say, I learned that Zoë gave up everything to help Hercules and was disowned for it, and all Hercules had to show for it is leaving her on her own and not including the fact that he completed the eleventh task out of his twelve labors.

"Well!" the naiad ordered.

"Look, I left my sand dollars at home, but I swear on the river of Styx I won't use your river if you can tell me where I can find sea fossils," I said.

On que, thunder boomed from the sky above.

The naiad looked surprise. "Really?"

"I swore on the river of styx, didn't I?" I asked.

The river gurgled along cheerfully. A snake slid through the water and ducked its head under. Finally the naiad sighed.

"How do you know about fossilize sea shells?" she asked

"My dad gave me a thermos for my first quest and inside is coated with it," I said, "I would use it to clean the place up, but I guess Geryon's sources _informed_ him about it."

The naiad snorted. "I hate that guy. I rather join the Hunters of Artemis than work for him."

"Believe me, I wouldn't do this either if it wasn't for one of my friends life being in danger," I responded, "So where can I find the fossils?"

"Right under your feet," Naiad responded, "Just scoop it up."

I did as I was told and scoop up Texas dirt. It was dry and black, but mixed into it was tiny clumps of white seashell fossils.

"Milllions of years ago, eve before the times of the gods, when only Gaea and Ouranos reigned, this land was under water. It was part of the sea," She told me, "Also, a word of advice, son of Poseidon, even when out of water, the water is within you. It's your life source. So even when you don't have fossilize sea shells, you still have power."

She stepped into the river and melted into it.

…

The sun was touching the hills when I got back to the stables. Somebody must've come by and fed the horses, because they were tearing into huge animal carcasses. I couldn't tell what kind of animal, and I really didn't want to know. If it was possible for the stables to get more disgusting, fifty horses tearing into raw meat did it.

 _Seafood!_ One thought when he saw me. _Come in! We're still hungry._

I smirked and one by one scoop up a handful of fresh dirt and fossilize seashells threw them into each pile of poop under every horse. Then I stretched my hand out and concentrated on each and every seashell.

I got a strong tugging feeling in my gut and heard several _SPOOOOOOOSH!_ Sound similar to what my thermos makes when I use it.

Many horses complained but I didn't stop. I didn't open my eyes, but I felt with each guesser I made a spring formed and sank into the ground, taking the dung with it.

After a while, I ended my little water works and opened my eyes to find that the stables were clean _and_ none of the remaining water was running down hill to the river. All there was left was left was fresh clean dirt.

I collapsed on my knees. I wasn't use to summoning so many guessers at once, but it was worth it.

 _We won't eat you!_ The horses wailed. _Please, lord! No more salty baths!_

"On one condition," I said. "All of you swear on the River of Styx that you will only eat the food your handlers give you from now on. Not people. And you let them clean this place once in a while. Or I'll be back with more seashells."

The horses whinnied and made me a whole lot of promises. Needless to say, there was a long time of thundering that if I didn't know better, there was a thunderstorm coming. I headed bac to the ranch house at top speed.

…

It didn't take long to find my way back. After giving the stables a salt water clean through, I could smell the barbecued food for miles.

The deck was set up for a party. Streamers and balloons decorated the railing. Geryon was flipping burgers on a huge barbecue cooker made from an oil drum. Eurytion lounged at a picnic table, picking his fingernails with a knife. The two-headed dog sniffed the ribs and burgers that were frying on the grill. And then I saw my friends: Tyson, Grover, Annabeth, and Nico all tossed in a corner, tied up like rodeo animals, with their ankles and wrists roped together and their mouths gagged.

"Let them go!" I yelled, "I cleaned the stables!"

Geryon turned. He wore an apron on each chest, with one word on each, so together they spelled out: KISS—THE—CHEF. "Did you, now? How'd you manage it?"

I was pretty impatient at this point, but I told him.

Geryon nodded appreciatively. "I thought I got you trap by taking your thermos, but you used your knowledge real well. Too bad you didn't poison that pesky naiad. Oh well, at least you made taking care of those horses easier."

"Let my friends go," I said, "We had a deal."

"Ah, I've been thinking about that. The problem is, if I let you and Nico go, I don't get paid, and I probably get paid more if I turn in the girl.'

"We had a deal!" I responded.

"You should have made an oath on the river of styx," Geryon said.

I drew my sword and hit the button on my wristwatch, allowing my shield to spiral out. Orthus growled. One head leaned down next to Grover's ear and bared its fangs.

"Eurytion," Geryon said, "the boy is starting to annoy me. Kill him."

Eurytion studied me and said, "Kill him yourself."

Geryon raised his eyebrows. "Excuse me?"

"You heard me," Eurytion grumbled. "You keep sending me out to do your dirty work. You pick fights for no good reason, and I'm tired of dying for you. You want to fight the kid, do it yourself."

It was the most un-Ares-like thing I'd ever heard a son of Ares say, and for once I'm glad.

Geryon threw down his spatula. "You dare defy me? I should fire you right now!"

"And who'd take care of your cattle? Orthus, heel."

The dog immediately stopped growling at Grover and came to sit by the cowherd's feet. Nice to know who Orthus' real owner is.

"Fine!" Geryon snarled. "I'll deal with you later, after the boy is dead!"

He picked up two carving knives and threw them at me. I deflected them with ease with my shield and came at Geryon with Riptide.

Geryon parried my first strike with a pair of red-hot tongs and lunged at my face with a barbecue fork. I blocked it with my shield and stabbed him though the middle chest.

"Aghhh!" He crumpled to his knees but didn't disintegrated as his wound heal.

"Nice try, sonny," he said. "Thing is, I have three hearts. The perfect backup system.

He tipped over the barbecue, and coals spilled everywhere. One landed next to Annabeth's face, and she let out a muffled scream. Tyson strained against his bonds, but even his strength wasn't enough to break them. I had to end this fight before my friends got hurt.

Three hearts. The perfect backup system. Stabbing one at a time was no good.

Then I remembered the promise Apollo made me last winter and how I'm in good terms with Artemis. I could use that to my advantage. I just need the right weapons and a little luck that Geryon is not informed about me being in good terms with them.

I ran into the house.

"Coward!" he cried. "Come back and die right!"

The living room walls were decorated with a bunch of gruesome hunting trophies—stuffed deer and dragon heads, a gun case, a sword display, and with luck, a bow and a quiver full of celestial bronze arrows.

Geryon threw his barbecue fork, and I blocked it with my shield. He drew two swords from the wall display. "Your head's gonna go right there, Jackson! Next to the grizzly bear.

I dropped Riptide and spiraled my shield back into its wristwatch form and grabbed the bow off the wall and prayed, _Apollo, if you're listening, I need you to keep your promise with helping me with archery, and Artemis, if you're willing to help as well, I need this to hit all three of Geryon's hearts with one arrow._

I notched an arrow.

Geryon laughed. "You fool! One arrow is no better than one sword."

He raised his swords and charged. I dove sideways. Before he could turn, I shot my arrow into the side of his right chest. I heard _THUMP, THUMP, THUMP,_ as the arrow passed clean through each of his chest and flew out his left side, embedding itself in the forehead of the grizzly bear trophy.

Geryon dropped his swords. He turned and stared at me. "You can't shoot. They told me you couldn't…"

His face turned sickly shade of green. He collapsed to his knees and began crumbling into sand, until all that was left were three cooking aprons and an oversized pair of cowboy boots.

I got my friends untied. Eurytion didn't try to stop me. Then I stoked up the barbecue and threw the food into the flames as a burnt offering for Artemis and Apollo.

"Thanks, guys," I said.

The sky thundered in the distance, so I figured maybe the burgers smelled okay.

"Yay for Percy!" Tyson said.

"We can tie up his cowherd now?" Nico asked.

"Yeah!" Grover agreed. "And that dog almost killed me!"

I looked at Eurytion, who still was sitting relaxed at the picnic table. Orthus had both his heads on the cowherd's knees.

"How long will it take Geryon to re-form?" I asked him.

Eurytion shrugged. "Hundred years? He's not one of those fast reformers, thank the gods. You've done me a favor."

"Keep the promises Geryon made with me as well as stop all deals to the titan army as well as killing any sacred or endanger animals you keep here for food, have someone hired to clean all the stables, and make sure none of the muck from any of the stables don't end up in a Naiad's river, and consider yourself even," I responded, "Also get some of the animals on your side so with Geryon reforms, he'll be forced to work for you. If you have any more problems with the flesh eating horses about it, threaten them that you'll Iris-message me to see about a _salty bath_."

Eurytion thought about that. "I could live with that."

Annabeth rubbed her bruised wrists. She was still looking at Eurytion suspiciously. "Your boss said that somebody paid for our safe passage. Who?"

The cowherd shrugged. "Maybe he was just saying that to fool you."

"What about the Titans?" I asked. "Did you Iris message them about Nico yet?"

"Nope. Geryon was waiting until after the barbecue. They don't know we have him or you."

I nodded and turned to Nico. "Listen Nico. I can understand why you don't want to go to camp after being shunned, but you're not safe in the Labyrinth, so I'm going to tell you this once: you can stay here until we're done with our quest and we can pick you up, you can come with us on this quest, or you can go back in the Underworld and stay there where your dad can watch over you as long as you stay away from Tartarus.

"Why should I believe you?" Nico asked.

"Nico, believe it or not, your life hangs on the balance on your choices in the upcoming war. Zeus won't hesitate to kill you the moment you give him a reason too, especially with the choices of other children of Hades made in the past," I responded. "That's why your sister joined the hunters, to prove to everyone she's not like Hitler or Napoleon, and she left me in charge with you, so I can help you make the right choices to do the same thing."

"Yeah right! You'll just desert me like everyone else!" Nico yelled.

I pinched my forehead. "Nico, I just save you from joining Kronos' army."

"I never asked—"

"I know, you didn't ask me too, but I did it anyways, because my fatal flaw is personal loyalty: which means I will stick my hand out for a friend to help them at all cost," I responded, "If we weren't friends, you think I would do that?"

Nico shut up after that.

"When you asked me too keep an eye on Bianca during the quest last winter, I did just that," I said. "If I was going to hold who your dad is against you and Bianca, I wouldn't be here."

Nico stayed quiet. "Can I at least think about it?"

"Sure," I responded.

"Well it's getting late, so you kids can stay for the night," Eurytion said, "We have plenty of guest rooms, and tomorrow you can go back into the Labyrinth."

None of us argued against the idea. Sleeping on a bed actually sounds better than on the labyrinth floor.


	10. Nobody Wants to Play with a Sphinx

**A/N:** Certain ancient Greek names matches words use of foul language but no foul language was intentionally used. Also if you haven't read them yet read 'The Tales of the Son of Poseidon & the Early Adventures' 'The Tales of the Son of Poseidon & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief' 'The Tales of the Son of Poseidon & the Olympians: The Sea of Monsters' and 'The Tales of the Son of Poseidon & the Olympians: The Titan's Curse' before reading this story. Lastly, any one who wants to do a Demigods and Olympian reads story using 'The Tales of the Son of Poseidon' is allowed _as long as_ you inform me about it.

* * *

 **Nobody Wants to Play with a Sphinx**

I wish I can say I had a good night sleep, but I didn't.

I dreamed I was with Luke, walking through the dark palace on top of Mount Tam. It was a real building now—not some half-finish illusion like I'd seen last winter. Green fires burned in braziers along the walls. The floor was polished black marble. A cold wind blew down the hallway, and above us through the open ceiling, the sky swirled with gray storm clouds.

Luke was dressed for battle. He wore camouflage pants, a white T-shirt, and a bronze breastplate, but his sword, Backbiter, wasn't at his side—only an empty scabbard. We walked into a large courtyard where dozens of warriors and _dracaenae_ were preparing for war. When they saw him, the demigods rose to attention. They beat their swords against their shields.

There were demigods I recognized from my years and in camp, but there were many that I didn't. At first I thought some of them might be some fresh half-bloods that Luke got his hands on and convince to join him, but then I heard some muttered in some strange language that I recognized but didn't completely understand.

It wasn't until later I realize that the reason was because they were speaking Latin fluently, as if they spend years speaking the language, which was odd since most demigods I met could only speak Ancient Greek fluently. It also explains why I recognized the language since I did take Latin class a few years back in my sixth grade school.

My attention was drawn back to Luke when I heard a _dracaena_ asked him, "Issss it time, my lord?"

"Soon," Luke promised. "Continue your work."

"My lord," a voice said behind him. Kelli the _empousa_ was smiling at him. She wore a blue dress tonight, her eyes flickered between dark brown and pure red, and her hair was braided down her back and seemed to catch the light of the torches as if it were anxious to turn back into pure flame.

My heart was pounding. I waited for Kelli to see me, to try and kill me in my dream, but she didn't seem to notice me.

"You have a visitor," she told Luke. She stepped aside, and even Luke seemed stunned at what he saw.

The monster Kampê towered above him. Her hair hissed around her legs. Animal heads growled at her waist. Her swords were drawn, shimmering with poison, and with her bat wings extended, she took up the entire corridor.

"You." Luke's voice sounded a little shaky. "I told you to stay on Alcatraz."

Kampê's eyelids blinked sideways like a reptile's. She spoke in that weird rumbling language, but this time I understood, somewhere in the back of my mind: _I come to serve. Give me revenge._

"You're a jailor," Luke said. "Your job—"

 _I will have them dead. No one escapes me._

Luke hesitated. A line of sweat trickled down the side of his face. "Very well," he said. "You will go with us. You may carry Ariadne's string. It is a position of great honor."

Kampê hissed at the stars. She sheathed her swords and turned, pounding down the hallways on her enormous wings.

"We should have left that one in Tartarus," Luke mumbled. "She is too chaotic. Too powerful."

Kelli laughed softly. "You should not fear power, Luke. Use it!"

"The sooner we leave, the better," Luke said. "I want this over with."

"Aww," Kelli sympathized, running a finger down his arm. "You find it unpleasant to destroy your old camp?"

"I didn't say that."

"You're not having second thoughts about your own, ah, special part?"

Luke's face turned stony. "I know my duty."

"That is good," the demon said. "Is our strike force sufficient, do you think? Or will I need to call Mother Hecate for help?"

A shiver went down my back when she said that. Could Hecate have joined the Titan Army? If so, this is not good.

"We have more than enough," Luke said grimly. "The deal is almost complete. All I need now is to negotiate safe passage through the arena."

"Mmm," Kelli said. "That should be interesting. I would hate to see your handsome head on a spike if you fail."

"I will not fail. And you, demon, don't you have other matters to attend to?"

"Oh, yes." Kelli smiled. "I am bringing despair to our eavesdropping enemies. I am doing that right now."

She turned her eyes directly on me, expose her talons.

 _Change dreams, change to something else—show me something about Daedalus,_ I thought as I focus my mind on the last time I seen Daedalus in a dream vision. The last thing I heard before my dream shifted was Kelli saying, _He's changing dreams on his own again._

I really should keep notes of how I did that, because my dream shifted into a stone tower, with me overlooking a rocky cliffs and the ocean below. The old man Daedalus was hunched over a worktable, wrestling with some kind of navigational instrument, like a huge compass. He looked years older than when I'd last seen him. He was stooped and his hands were gnarled. He cursed in Ancient Greek and squinted as if he couldn't see his work, even though it was a sunny day.

"Uncle!" a voice called.

A smiling boy about Nico's age came bounding up the steps, carrying a wooden box.

"Hello, Perdex," the old man said, thought his tone sounded cold. "Done with your project already?"

"Yes, Uncle. They were easy!"

Daedalus scowled. "Easy? The problem of moving water uphill without a pump was easy?"

"Oh, yes! Look!"

The boy dumped his box and rummage through the junk. He came up with a strip of papyrus and showed the inventor some diagrams and notes. They didn't make much sense to me, but Daedalus nodded grudgingly. "I see. Not bad.

 _Uh-oh._ I thought. I knew that look on Daedalus all too well since Annabeth gets the same look when her hubris—or deadly pride—takes a hit whenever someone makes a better plan than hers or messed hers up to their liking.

"The king liked it!" Perdix said. "He said I might be even smarter than you!"

"Did he now?"

"But I don't believe that. I'm so glad Mother sent me to study with you! I want to know everything you do."

"Yes," Daedalus muttered. "So when I die, you can take my place, eh?"

The boy's eyes widened. "Oh no, Uncle! But I've been thinking… why does a man have to die, anyway?"

The inventor scowled. "It is the way of things, lad. Everything dies but the gods."

I couldn't help but nod remembering what happened to Halcyon for stopping someone's fate of dying. It was cruel, but compare to other punishment others faced for defying fate who were killed and in most cases, send to the Field of Punishment, Hal's punishment was more of a slap on the wrist.

"But _why_?" the boy insisted. "If you could capture the animus, the soul in another form… Well, you told me about your automatons, Uncle. Bulls, eagles, dragons, horses of bronze. Why not a bronze form for a man?"

"No, my boy," Dedalus said sharply. "You are naïve. Such a thing is impossible."

"I don't think so," Perdix insisted. "With the use of a little magic—"

"Magic? Bah!"

"Yes, Uncle! Magic and mechanics together—with a little work, one could make a body that would look exactly human, only better. I've made some notes."

He handed the old man a thick scroll. Daedalus unfurled it. He read for a long time. His eyes narrowed. He glanced at the boy, the closed the scroll and cleared his throat. "It would never work, my boy. When you're older, you'll see."

"Can I fix that astrolabe, then, Uncle? Are your joints swelling up again."

The old man's jaw clenched, and I had a shiver down my back. "No. Thank you. Now why don't you run along?"

Perdix didn't seem to notice the old man's anger. He snatched a bronze beetle from his mound of stuff and ran to the edge of the tower. A low sill ringed the rim, coming just up to the boy's knees. The wind was strong.

I wanted to tell the kid to move back but the dream vision wouldn't let me, mostly because this was the past. Not that it matters since past dream visions are just that, the past.

Perdix wound up the beetle and tossed it into the sky. It spread its wings and hummed away. Perdix laughed with delight.

"Smarter than me," Daedalus mumbled, too oft for the boy to hear.

"Is it true your son died flying, Uncle? I heard you made him enormous wings, but they failed.

Daedalus' hands clenched. "Take my place," he muttered.

The wings whipped around the boy, tugging at his clothes, making his hair ripple.

"I would like to fly," Perdix said. "I'd make my own wings that wouldn't fail. Do you think I could?"

Suddenly I thought I saw Janus shimmering next to Daedalus telling him to choose. I couldn't help but frowned. Maybe this dream was trying to fool me, because I was sure Janus wasn't born as an immortal god until the rise of the Roman Empire.

Either way, Daedalus picked up another one of the boy's metal bugs. The inventor's old eyes were red with anger.

"Perdix," he called. "Catch."

He tossed the bronze beetle toward the boy. Delighted, Perdix tried to catch it, but the throw was too long. The beetle sailed into open sky, and Perdix reached a little too far. The wind caught him.

Somehow he managed to grab the rim of the tower with his fingers as he fell. "Uncle!" he screamed. "Help me!"

The old man's face was a mask. He did not move from his spot.

"Go on, Perdix," Daedalus said softly. "Make your own wings. Be quick about it."

"Uncle!" the boy cried as he lost his grip. He tumbled toward the sea.

There was a moment of deadly silence. Janus flickered and disappeared, which still makes no sense to me. Then thunder shook the sky. A woman's stern voice spoke from above: _You will pay the price for that, Daedalus._

I heard that voice before. It was Annabeth's mother Athena.

Daedalus scowled up at the heavens. "I have always honored you, Mother. I have sacrificed everything to follow your way."

 _Yet the boy had my blessing as well. And you have killed him. For that you must pay._

"I've paid and paid!" Daedalus growled. "I've lost everything. I'll suffer in the Underworld, no doubt. But in the meantime…"

He picked up the boy's scroll, studied it for a moment, and slipped it into his sleeve.

 _You do not understand,_ Athena said coldly. _You will pay now and forever._

Suddenly Daedalus collapsed in agony. I felt what he felt. A searing pain closed around my neck like a molten-hot collar—cutting off my breath, making everything go black.

I woke in the dark, my hands clutching at my throat, but I was alone in my guest room.

I removed my hands from my throat, and steadied my breathing. I'd just watched the guy we were looking for, Daedalus, murder his own nephew.

Too scared to go back to bed, I decided to got up and decided to get something to drink.

However, when I opened my door, I saw Nico leaving his room and heading out with food and drinks. Curious and worried I followed him outside.

…

Nico apparently headed to Geryon's sceptic tank which I guess was deep enough for him because he started doing his ritual to summon the dead. It went exactly like my dream only first hand it was creepier.

Nico started chanting in ancient Greece. Immediately the bugs in the woods stopped chirping. In my pocket, the Stygian ice dog whistle started to grow colder, freezing against the side of my leg.

Before I could say anything the first spirits appeared. Sulfurous mist seeped out of the ground. Shadows thickened into human forms. One blue shade drifted to the edge of the pit and knelt to drink as Nico stopped the others.

The spirit solidified into the shape of a bearded man in white robes. A circlet of gold wreathed his head, and even in death his eyes were alive with malice.

"I done as you suggest, now tell me what I want to know!" Nico demanded.

"My apologies, master," the ghost said, though he didn't sound very sorry. "But you'll have to ask me the question again?"

Nico seemed to get irritated. "Is it true about Hades and Napoleon and every child of Hades turning against Olympus?"

Minos seemed to be offended. "Master, I don't think this is the—"

"You swore you would tell me!" Nico demanded.

Minos frowned as if thigns weren't going the way he was hoping.

"How did you find out?"

"Percy told me," Nico said. "He also told me my sister joined the Hunters to make a difference."

"Master, you're taking the word of Poseidon over me?" Minos asked.

Nico hesitated. "Don't change the topics, did you know?"

Minos sighed. "Yes, I knew."

"And you were leading me to follow the same path as Hitler!" Nico demanded.

"No, master, I was helping make right out of something that wrong that shouldn't have happened," Minos said.

"By making me follow the same path as my half-siblings," Nico said.

I had no idea what Nico was talking about, but I didn't like the sound of it.

"Master, I wouldn't—I never—" Minos said.

"I don't need your help anymore, Minos," Nico said.

Minos seemed to be frightened to the point that he nearly fell backwards even in ghost form. "My Lord—"

"Return to the Underworld and back to your job as judge," Nico ordered. "Your services is no longer needed in the world of the living."

Minos seemed to be reluctant as he faded back into the pit and into the Underworld.

I smiled. It may have been a late start, but it seemed Nico might have started his own path as a hero.

…

I waited for a little bit after Nico left before I headed back to the house. What I didn't expect was when I came into the living room, Grover was on the couch watching TV. I guess he saw Nico came in and guess I was watching over him because instead of asking what I was doing up, he said "Hey."

"Hey," I responded, "Couldn't sleep?"

Grover nodded, "I thought I watch the Nature Channel." He sniffled. "I miss Juniper."

"Yeah, well… you'll see her again soon."

Grover shook his head sadly. "Do you know what day it is, Percy? I just saw it on TV. It's June Thirteenth. Seven days since we left camp."

My heart sank. "Your deadline with the Council of Cloven Elders."

Grover put the TV remote in his mouth and crunched off the end of it. "I'm out of time," he said with a mouthful of plastic. "As soon as I go back, they'll take my searcher's license. I'll never be allowed to go out again."

"Then we'll have to find Pan before you get back," I said.

"Percy—" Grover said.

"The Council of Cloven Elders can't revoke your license until you get back to camp together," I said, "And right now the only thing that's keeping you on the search and away from camp is this quest. We can't give up yet."

Grover nodded reluctantly before dozing off in the couch. I guess he wasn't going back room. Honestly, at this point, I'm going to go to bed either, so instead I found myself watching the Nature Show instead.

The next morning we walked down to the cattle guard and said our good-byes. Eurytion returned my thermos to me.

"I don't need it. Besides, it only work for children of Poseidon," Eurytion said, which I took was his way of thanking me for getting rid of Geryon.

What surprise us most was that Nico was coming with us.

"Not for the whole quest though," Nico warned, "Just until I find my way back into the Underworld."

Annabeth and I looked at each other. This wasn't planned, but then again, nothing about this quest was.

"Your quest your decision," I reminded Annabeth.

"Fine," Annabeth agreed, "But I still have no way to navigate the Labyrinth."

"Blaaah!"

"Grover, did you say something?" Annabeth asked.

"No!" Grover responded.

"Blaaah!"

I turned to see it was who had appeared out of nowhere.

"Amaltheia!" I responded.

"You know that goat?" Nico asked.

"She's Zeus' goat-mother," I explained. "She helped Thalia—and me when we were traveling with Luke once—before he joined Kronos. She also helped me find the Naiad who told me where to find fossilize seashells."

"But I thought Zeus and Poseidon were enemies, why would she help you?" Nico asked.

"Blaaah!"

Grover translated for us, "She said Hera _convinced_ Zeus to send Amatheia to keep her promise of fulfilling Annabeth's wish to at least get us to Hephaestus forge."

"Pretty goat," Tyson said.

Amatheia seemed skittish around Tyson. "Blaaah!"

"I don't blame you," Grover said.

We didn't have to ask to guess it had something to do with Tyson being a Cyclopes.

"Well, Amaltheia, lead the way," Annabeth said.

"Yeah, but how are we going to get her down there?" Nico asked.

As if to answer Nico's question, Amaltheia disappeared in a mist of thunder clouds, which confused everyone but me until we heard her _blaaahed_ in the Labyrinth.

"She does that," I explained.

"I wish I can do that," Grover muttered.

We quickly climbed down the cattle guard after our goat friend waiting for us until we were all in the labyrinth. Then once we were in the tunnel she trotted off.

"She does that too," I responded.

"For how long?" Grover asked.

"Until we neared where she's leading us," I responded.

"We better go after it," Annabeth said.

We headed after our magical guide, which we almost lost it more than once but didn't thanks to Grover's and Tyson's excellent hearing and Amaltheia's constant blaaahing. My guess is that since Amaltheia is an immortal wildlife creature, she wants to get this over with as quickly as possible so she wouldn't have to stay underground too long.

We ran down a marble tunnel, then dashed to the left and almost fell into an abyss. Tyson grabbed be and hauled me back before I could fall. The tunnel continued in front of us, but there was no floor for a hundred feet.

"Where's Amaltheia?" Annabeth asked.

I shined my flashlight and found her on the other side of the abyss waiting for us.

"How—never mind," Annabeth responded, "We need to get across."

I shined my flashlight down and saw no way for us to climb down. But when I shiled it up I saw a series of iron rungs in the ceiling.

"Monkey bars," Nico said. "I hate monkey bars."

"I don't," Annabeth said, "I'm great at these."

She leaped onto the first rung and started swinging across and jumped off on the opposite side.

I turned to Nico, "You need some help?"

Nico flinched at the idea and looked around. "No, it's dark enough for me to get across on my own."

"How—"

Before I could finish Nico melted into the darkness of the labyrinth. Suddenly I heard Annabeth eeped and shined my flashlight to see Nico was standing next to her.

"How did he do that?" Tyson asked.

I remembered how Bianca used a similar method to save me and help me get into Tantalus.

"It must be a power of Hades," I said, "Bianca did the same thing during our battle against Talos."

"What's taking you three so long?" Annabeth yelled.

I decided to go next on the monkey bars, which wasn't too bad thanks to all my training. I made it across at ease and turned to see Tyson was giving Grover a piggyback ride—or in this case a goatyback ride. The big guy made it across in three swings, which was a good thing since, just as he landed, the last iron bar ripped free under his weight.

Once everyone was across, Amaltheia trotted off with us following, passing a skeleton and a series of pencils broken in half.

Finally Amaltheia stopped when the tunnel opened up onto a large room. A blazing light. Once my eyes adjusted, the first thing I noticed were skeletons. Dozens littered the floor around us. Some were old and bleached white. Others were more recent and a lot grosser. They didn't smell quite as bad as Geryon's stables, but almost.

Then I saw the monster. She stood on the glittery dais on the opposite side of the room. She had the body of a huge lion and the head of a woman. She would've been pretty, but her hair was tied back in a tight bun and she wore too much makeup. She had a blue ribbon badge pinned to her chest that took me a moment to read: THIS MONSTER HAS BEEN RATED **EXEMPLARY!**

Tyson whimpered. "Sphinx."

I knew exactly why he was scared. Before my mom adopted him for his own safety with my dad's approval, when he was small, Tyson had been attacked by a Sphinx in New York. He still had the scars on his back to prove it.

Spotlights blazed on either side of the creature. The only exit was a tunnel right behind the dais. Amaltheia stayed back, not wanting to get near it.

Annabeth started forward, but the Sphinx roared, showing fangs in her otherwise human face. Bars come down on both tunnel exits, behind us and in front.

Immediately the monster's snarled turned into a brilliant smile.

"Welcome, lucky contestants!" she announced. "Get ready to play… ANSWER THAT RIDDLE!"

Canned applause blasted from the ceiling, as if there were invisible loudspeakers. Spotlights swept across the room and reflected off the dais, throwing disco glitter over the skeletons on the floor.

"Fabulous prizes!" the Sphinx said. "Pass the test, and you get to advance! Fail, and I get to eat you! Who will be our contestant?"

"Leave this to me," Annabeth said.

None of us argued since a test of knowledge is Annabeth's strong points. Tyson whimpered as he stayed close to Amaltheia and Nico just shrugged.

She stepped forward to the contestant's podium, which had a skeleton in a school uniform hunched over it. She pushed the skeleton out of the way, and it clattered to the floor.

"Sorry," Annabeth told it.

"Welcome, Annabeth Chase!" the monster cried, though Annabeth hadn't said her name. "Are you ready for your test?"

"Yes," she said. "Ask your riddle."

"Twenty riddles, actually," the Sphinx said gleefully,.

"What? But back in the old days—"

"Oh, we've raised our standards! To pass, you must show proficiency in all twenty. Isn't that great?"

Applause switch on and off like somebody turning a faucet.

Annabeth glanced at me nervously.

"Just go with it," I told her encouragingly, "And don't forget, you're the daughter of Athena. There's nothing this sphinx can ask you that you can't answer."

I hoped to all the gods I didn't curse her chance, but in the end, Annabeth nodded.

"Okay," she told the Sphinx. "I'm ready."

A drumroll sounded from above. The Sphinx's eyes glittered with excitement. "What… is the capital of Bulgaria?"

Annabeth frowned. "Sofia," she said, "but—"

"Correct!" More canned applause. The Sphinx smiled so wide her fangs showed. "Please be sure to mark your answer clearly on your test sheet with a number 2 pencil."

"What?" Annabeth looked mystified. Then a test booklet appeared on the podium in front of her, along with a sharpened pencil.

"Make sure you bubbled each answer clearly and stay inside the circle," the Sphinx said. "If you have to erase, erase completely or the machine will not be able to read your answers."

"What machine?" Annabeth asked.

The sphinx pointed with her paw. Over by the spotlight was a bronze box with a bunch of gears and levers and a big Greek letter Êta on the side, the mark of Hephaestus.

"Now," said the Sphinx, "next question—"

"Wait a second," Annabeth protested. "What about 'What walks on four legs in the Morning?"

"I beg your pardon?" the Sphinx said clearly annoyed now. I got the feeling the Sphinx didn't like smart people.

"The riddle about man. He walks on four legs in the morning, like a baby, two legs in the afternoon, like an adult, and three legs in the evening, as an old man with a cane. That's the riddle you used to ask."

"Exactly why we change the test!" the Sphinx explained. "You already knew the answer."

"Annabeth—" I said in a warning voice. "Just go with it."

"Now second question, what is the square root of sixteen?" the Sphinx asked.

"Four," Annabeth said, "But—"

"Correct! Which U.S. president signed the Emancipation Proclamation?"

"Abraham Lincoln, but—"

"Correct!"

"Annabeth is going to get us killed if she doesn't stop trying to question the Sphinx," Nico said.

I lowered my head, knowing Nico had a point. Annabeth was letting her pride get the best of her.

"Riddle number four. How much—"

"Hold up! These aren't riddles," Annabeth said.

"What do you mean?" The sphinx snapped. "Of course they are. This test material is specially designed—"

"It is just a bunch of dumb, random facts," Annabeth insisted. "Riddles are suppose to make you think."

"Think?" The Sphinx frowned. "How am I supposed to test whether you can think? That's ridiculous! Now, how much force is required—"

"Stop!" Annabeth insisted. "This is a stupid test."

"Um, Annabeth," Grover cut in nervously. "Maybe you should just, you know, finish first and complain later?"

"I'm a child of Athena," she insisted. "And this is an insult to my intelligence."

"Annabeth, your fatal flaw—" I warned her.

"I don't care, Percy! I won't answer these questions," Annabeth snapped.

The spotlights glared. The Sphinx's eyes glittered pure black. At this point Amaltheia disappeared in a mist of Thunderclouds as if to get out of danger.

"Why then, my dear," the monster said calmly. "If you won't pass, you fail. And since we can't allow any children to be held back, you'll must be EATEN!"

The Sphinx bared her claws, which gleamed like stainless steel. She pounced at the podium.

"No!" Tyson charged. He hates it when people threatened Annabeth, and my guess is it was a good enough reason for him to overcome his fear.

He tacked the Sphinx in midair and they crashed sideways into a pile of bones. This gave Annabeth just enough time to gather her wits and draw her knife. Tyson got up, his shirt clawed to shreds. The Sphinx growled, looking for an opening.

I drew out Riptide and step in front of Annabeth.

"Turn invisible," I told her.

"I can fight!"

"But the Sphinx is after _you_!" I reminded her, "Let us deal with her."

The Sphinx knocked Tyson aside and tried to charge past me. Grover poked her in the eye with somebody's leg bone as Nico moved in and stabbed it with his Styxian Iron sword. The Sphinx roared in pain. Annabeth put on her cap and vanished. The sphinx pounced right where she'd been standing, but came up with empty paws.

"No fair!" the Sphinx wailed. "Cheater!"

With Annabeth no longer in sight, the Sphinx turned on me. I raised my sword, but before I could strike, Tyson ripped the monster's grading machine out of the floor and threw it at the Sphinx's head, ruining her hair bun. It landed in pieces all around her.

"My grading machine!" she cried. "I can't be exemplary without my test scores!"

The bars lifted from the exits. Amaltheia was the first through along with, I hope, Annabeth. The rest of us dashed for the far tunnel.

The Sphinx started to follow but Grover raised his reed pipes and began to play. Suddenly, the pencils remember they used to be parts of trees. They collected around the Sphinx's paws, grew roots and branches, and began wrapping around the monster's legs.

If that was enough, Nico twisted his skull ring, causing all the skeletons in the room reformed in away that resembles those skeleton models in biology class, only these didn't have wires keeping them together.

"Distract the Sphinx!" Nico ordered.

The skeletons turned to the sphinx, broke off a rib from their rib cage, and charged at the monster.

Now the Sphinx was trying to rip through the roots and fight off an army of skeletons giving us enough time to pull Grover into the tunnel before the bars slammed shut behind us.

Annabeth took off her invisibility hat once we were safe. "Now what?"

Suddenly we heard an echoe of _Blaaah_ that told us Amaltheia was still in the tunnels.

"I guess we follow the goat," Nico said.

None of us argued against the idea as we left the tunnel along with the yelling and cries of the Sphinx as it complained about having to grade it's test by hand and something about stupid skeletons.


	11. The Favor of Hephaestus' I Never Forget

**A/N:** Certain ancient Greek names matches words use of foul language but no foul language was intentionally used. Also if you haven't read them yet read 'The Tales of the Son of Poseidon & the Early Adventures' 'The Tales of the Son of Poseidon & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief' 'The Tales of the Son of Poseidon & the Olympians: The Sea of Monsters' and 'The Tales of the Son of Poseidon & the Olympians: The Titan's Curse' before reading this story. Lastly, any one who wants to do a Demigods and Olympian reads story using 'The Tales of the Son of Poseidon' is allowed _as long as_ you inform me about it.

* * *

 **The Favor of Hephaestus' I Never Forget**

No better way for Amaltheia to tell you 'you made it to your destination, my job is done, goodbye' than her disappearing in a Mist and thunderclouds.

We found our goat-guide at a metal door. The door looked like one of those old-fashioned submarine hatches—oval, with metal rivets around the edges and a wheel for a doorknob. Where the portal should've been was a big brass plaque, green with age, with a Greek Êta inscribed in the middle.

"Yep! This has to be Hephaestus' place," I said as I turned to Amaltheia. "Thank you, Amaltheia. You can go now."

The goat blaaahed before a mist and storm clouds appeared around her. When it dissipated, she was gone.

"So—" Grover said nervously. "Ready to meet Hephaestus?"

"Yes!" Tyson said gleefully, and he turned the wheel.

As soon as the door opened, Tyson headed right inside with the rest of us following.

The room was enormous. It looked like a mechanic's garage, with several hydraulic lifts. Some had cars on them, but others had strange things: a bronze hippaletryon with its horse head off and a bunch of wires hanging out its rooster tail, a metal lion that seemed to be hooked up to a battery charger, and a Greek war chariot made entirely of flames.

Smaller projects cluttered a dozen worktables. Tools hung along the walls. Each had its own outline on a Peg-Board, but nothing seemed to be in the right place. The hammer was over the screwdriver place. The staple gun was where the hacksaw was supposed to go.

Under the nearest hydraulic lift, which was holding a '98 Toyota Corolla, a pair of legs stuck out—the lower half of a huge man in grubby gray pants and shoes bigger than Tyson's. One leg was in a metal brace.

"Um—Lord Hephaestus," I said.

"Hold on!" a deep voice boomed from under the Corolla.

The mechanic pushed out on a back trolley and sat up.

I heard stories of what Hephaestus looked like, especially by his own kids, so when I visit the winter solstice I guessed he'd cleaned up for winter solstice, or used magic to make his form look presentable. But I never truly understood what he looked like until now.

He wore a jumpsuit smeared with oil and grime. _Hephaestus_ , was embroidered over the chest pocket. His leg creaked and click in its metal brace as he stood, and his left shoulder was lower than his right, so he seemed to be leaning even when he was standing up straight. His head was misshapen and bulging. He wore a permanent scowl. His black beard smoked and hissed. Every once in a while a small wildfire would erupt in his whiskers then died out. His hands were the size of catcher's mitts—which reminded me of Beckendorf's hands, so I could guess like his son, Hephaestus can handle any technology.

Hephaestus glowered at us. "Did I make you?"

"Uh," Annabeth said, "no, sir."

"Good," the god grumbled. "Shoddy workmanship."

I fought back the urge to bring up some of his designs that went defective that we fought in the past, mainly Proto-Talos and The Colchus Bulls. But I been around his kids long enough to know you _never_ bring up their failed designs. Hephaestus kids take pride of their success, not their failure, and I'm sure their father is the same way.

He studied Annabeth Nico and me, which made Nico squirmed uncomfortably. Not that I blame him. Being in a present of a god can do that to anyone and being in the present of the whole council isn't much better.

"Half-Bloods," he grunted. "Could be automatons, of course, but probably not."

"We've met, sir," I told him.

"Have we?" the god asked absently as if he didn't care of that. He seemed to be trying to figure out how my jaw worked. "Well then, if I didn't smash you to a pulp the first time we met, I suppose I won't have to do it now."

Once again I found myself fighting back the urge to tell Hephaestus that he took part of voting to either kill or let me live _six_ times since I came to Camp Half-Blood, and one of those times included Nico in the deal.

He looked at Grover and frowned. "Satyr." Then he looked at Tyson, and his eyes twinkled, "Well, a Cyclops. Good. Good, good. What are you doing traveling with this lot?"

"Uh…" said Tyson, staring in wonder at the god.

""Yes, well said," Hephaestus agreed. "So, there'd better be a good reason you're disturbing me. The suspension on this Corolla is no small matter, you know."

"Sir," Annabeth said hesitantly, "we're looking for Daedalus. We thought—"

 _"Daedalus?"_ the god roared. "You want that old scoundrel? You dare seek him out!"

His beard burst into flames and his black eye glowed.

"Uh, yes, sir, please," Annabeth said.

"Humph. You're wasting your time." He frowned at something on his worktable and limped over to it. He picked up a lump of springs and metal plates and tinkered with them. In a few second he was holding a bronze and silver falcon. It spread its metal wings, blinked its obsidian eyes, and flew around the room.

Tyson laughed clapped his hands. The bird landed on Tyson's shoulder and nipped his ear affectionately.

"Lord Hephaestus," I said, "The reason we're looking for Daedalus or at least his workshop is because the camp is in great danger along with the lives of everyone in it, including your own children."

That seemed to catch the god's attention. Normally the thought of their kids being in danger would do that. "And you think you can find the way to save them in Daedalus' workshop or from the man himself," Hephaestus said.

"At this point we may not have a choice, sir," I responded, "We found the Last Hundred Handed One: Briares on our way here, and asked him to help, but he was too scared to help us. Especially with it's former jailer back and his brothers gone."

Nico frowned. "When did you meet a Hundred Handed One?"

"Back in Alcatraz," Annabeth replied, "It was before we arrived at the ranch."

Hephaestus watched Tyson played with the Falcon, but it was obvious even to the god of forge Tyson was upset by the reminder of his hero losing his fate.

"There was a time I admired the Hundred-Handed Ones. Back in the days of the first war. But people, monsters, even gods, change. You must be careful of who you can trust. Look at my loving mother, Hera. You met her, didn't you? She'll smile at your face and talk about how important family is, eh? Didn't stop her from pitching me off Mount Olympus and then go blaming my father for it. The truth is, my mother likes families, but she likes a certain kind of family. _Perfect_ families. She took one look at me and… well, I don't fit the image, do I?"

"My mom would probably say a family is no more perfect than just being around those you cared about, no matter how it looks," I said.

For a moment I thought I saw Hephaestus smirked. "She sounds like a wise caring woman."

"She is," Annabeth Grover Tyson and I said at the same time.

Hephaestus just nodded and focus on me, which made me as uncomfortable as Nico at this point. "You really want to protect the camp, don't you?"

I nodded. "It's been my home for almost eight years, and everyone there been like a family too me, including your own kids."

Hephaestus laughed, "I like your spirit kid. You remind me of a son of mine, not a camper, at least not yet. He's a special case that for right now might be best not aware of who he is."

Annabeth and I looked at each other. Normally when an Olympian is keeping a child in the dark, there's a reason.

"Don't worry, I doubt he'll be found out. He's quite cunning, something he got from his mother's side," Hephaestus said, "As for your request, I will tell you where to find Daedalus."

Annabeth perked up, "Really?"

"However, I want you to do something for me," Hephaestus said.

"Name it," Annabeth said.

Hephaestus actually laughed—a booming sound like a huge bellows stoking a fire. "You heroes," he said, "always making rash promises. How refreshing! Tell me, girl, which Olympian is your parent?"

"Athena," Annabeth said.

"Figures," he sighed with a chuckle. "Fine goddess, Athena. A shame she pledge never to marry."

Nico had a look of realization like he just remembered something while at the same time had a questioning look. I can understand why. After years in Camp Half-Blood and friends with some of Athena's kids, you forget that Athena is supposed to be and _still_ is a virgin goddess who just so happens to have a unique way of having kids.

Hephaestus must have sensed Nico's confusion because he chuckled at the son of Hades as he press a button on his workbench, and a metal shutters opened along the wall. It was a big screen TV of some sorts showing a gray volcano ringed in forests with smoke rising from the crest.

"One of my forges," Hephaestus said. "I have many, but that used to be my favorite."

"That's Mount St. Helens," Grover said. "Great forests around there."

"You been there?" Nico asked.

"Looking for… you know. Pan."

"Wait," Annabeth said, looking at Hephaestus. "You said it _used to be_ your favorite. What happened?"

Hephaestus scratched his smoldering beard. "Well, that's where the monster Typhon is trapped, you know."

I nearly choked on my own air hearing that. "Typhon!"

"Yes! Used to be under Mount Etna, but when we moved to America, his force got pinned under Mount St. Hellens instead. Great source of fire, but a bit dangerous. Which is why I had to move to Yellow Stone," Hephaestus said.

"We're under Yellow Stone?" I asked.

"Oh no, but I do use It when ever I need the space," Hephaestus said, "As for Mount St. Hellen, lately I have sense intruders in my mountain. Someone or something is using my forges. When I go there, it is empty, but I can tell it is being used. They sense me coming, and disappeared. I send my automatons to investigate, but they do not return. Something… ancient is there. Evil. I want to know who dares invade my territory, and if they mean to lose Typhon."

"You want us to find out who it is," I said.

"Aye," Hephaestus said. "Go there. They may not sense you coming. You are not gods. Go and find out what you can. Report back to me, and I will tell you what you need to know about Daedalus."

"All right," Annabeth said. "How do we get there?"

Hephaestus headed over to his table and assembled yet another Automaton. When he was done a automaton mouse scurried off toward us.

"My creation will show you the way," Hephaestus said. "It is not far through the Labyrinth. And try to stay alive, will you? Humans are more fragile than automatons."

…

And so we headed off, following the automaton rodent. We were doing okay until we hit the tree roots. The mouse raced along and we were keeping up, but then we spotted a tunnel off to the side that was dug from raw earth, and wrapped in thick roots. Grover stopped dead in his tracks.

"What is it?" Nico asked.

He didn't move. He stared openmouthed into the dark tunnel. His curly hair rustled in the breeze.

"Come on!" Annabeth said. "We have to keep moving."

"This is the way," Grover muttered in awe. "This is it."

"What way?" I asked, "You mean… to Pan?"

Grover looked at Tyson. "Don't you smell it?"

"Dirt," Tyson said. "And plants."

"Yes! This is the way. I'm sure of it!"

Up ahead, the mouse was getting farther down the stone corridor. A few more seconds and we'd lose it."

"We'll come back," Annabeth promised. "On our way back to Hephaestus."

"The tunnel will be gone by then," Grover said. "I have to follow it. A door like this won't stay open!"

"But we can't," Annabeth said, "The forges!"

"I don't think we have much of a choice," I said, "We'll have to split up."

"No!" Annabeth said. "That's way too dangerous. How will we ever find each other again? And Grover can't go alone."

Tyson seem to understand and put his hand on Grover's shoulder. "I—I will go with him. Goat boy needs help. We will find the god person. I trust friends."

I turned to my brother surprise. "Are you sure?"

Tyson nodded.

Grover took a deep breath. "Percy, we'll find each other again. We've still got the empathy link. I just… have to."

I nodded. "Okay. Open up the link if you ever need help."

Tyson gave each of us a hug, which Nico flinched at, before he and Grover left through the tunnel.

"This is bad," Annabeth said. "Splitting up is a really, really bad idea."

"If the Fates will allow it, we'll see them again," I responded.

"We better go find that mouse," Nico reminded us.

It wasn't long before the tunnel started to get hot.

The stone walls glowed. The air felt as if we were walking through an oven. Even Nico was forced to take off his aviator jacket in the heat. The tunnel sloped down and I could hear a loud roar like a river of metal. The mouse skittered along, with now the three of us demigods going after it.

Along the way, Nico finally asked me what been on his mind since we met Hephaestus.

"What did Hephaestus mean by Athena swearing to never marry?" Nico asked.

I nearly tripped over my feet. This must really be on the kid's mind if he's asking about it now, but it still surprise me that he did.

"Athena is a Maiden goddess, just like Artemis and Hestia," I responded.

"Maiden goddess… as in…" Nico flurrowed.

I coughed and looked at Annabeth who was still following the mouse.

Nico apparently got the idea but ask, "But how does the maiden goddess have kids?"

"Nico, I'm not sure if I should be the one to tell you this," I responded.

"How?" Nico gave me a dark look that told me I better answer.

"Well, you know how Athena was born, right?" I asked.

"Yeah, of course! She was born from thoughts and was brought out of Zeus' head when…"

"Well," I interrupted, "As it turns out, Athena's kids are born the same way. Athena falls in love with a mortal man, and I guess she combine the mind of that man with her own and create a kid and was born from Athena's head as a blessing and gift to that man."

Nico frowned as if it was hard to believe, which I can understand. It was just as confusing too me when I found out.

"Don't think too much about it, Nico," I responded, "Trust me, there are somethings that are meant to stay in Cabin Six about how Athena's kids came to be."

I didn't know if Annabeth overheard our conversation, which I hoped she didn't, but if she did, she hid it really well.

The roaring got louder. After another half mile or so, we emerged in a cavern size of a Super Bowl stadium. Our spider escort stopped and curled into a ball. We had arrived at the forge of Hephaestus.

There was no floor, just bubbling lava hundreds of feet below. We stood on a rock ridge that circled the cavern. A network of metal bridges spanned across it. At the center was a huge platform with all sorts of machines, cauldrons, forges, and the largest anvil I'd ever seen—a block of iron the size of a house. Creatures moved around the platform—several strange, dark shapes, but they were too far away to make out details.

"Nico, can you shadow travel us there?" I asked.

Nico shook his head. "Too bright, if I try it will drain me too much just by using the shadows alone."

"Then we better save it in case we need an emergency trip," Annabeth said picking up the automaton mouse that shut down when we arrived and slipped it into his pocket. "I'll use my cap of invisibility to sneak ahead."

Before we could argue, she put on her Yankees cap and turned invisible.

"We should hide incase we're dealing with monsters," I said.

Nico nodded.

The heat was horrible. Geryon's ranch had been a winter wonderland compared to this. In no time, Nico and I both were drench in sweat and my eyes stung from the smoke.

We eventually found a cart on metal wheels full of scrap metal and squeezed in. However, we didn't get time to settle when I heard voices from ahead.

"Bring it in?" one asked.

"Yeah," another said. "Movie's just about done."

Nico and I hid as best as we could under the tarp, both of us have a hand on our weapons just before the cart lurched forward.

"Oi," a gruff voice said. "Thing weighs a ton."

"It's celestial bronze," the other said. "What did you expect?'

We were pulled along. We turned a corner, and from the sound of the wheels echoing against the walls, I guessed we had passed down a tunnel and into a smaller room.

Hopefully Nico and I was not about to be dumped into a smelting pot, otherwise we would be in trouble. I heard lots of talking, chattering voices that didn't sound human—somewhere between a seal's bark and dog's growl. There were other sounds too—like an old-fashioned film projector and a tiny voice narrating.

"Just set it in the back," a new voice ordered from across the room. "Now, younglings, please attend to the film. There will be time for questions afterward."

 _As a young sea demon matures,_ the narrator said, _changes happen in the monster's body. You may notice your fangs getting longer and you may have a sudden desire to devour human being. These changes are perfectly normal and happen to all young monsters._

Excited snarling filled the room. The teacher—I guess it must have been a teacher—told the younglings to be quiet, and the film continued. I didn't understand most of it, and I didn't dare look. The film kept talking about growth spurt and acne problems caused by working in the forges, and proper hygiene, and finaly it was over.

"Now, younglings," the instructor said, "What is the proper name of our  
kind?"

"Sea demons!" one of them barked.

"No. Anyone else?"

"Telekhines!" another monster growled.

My eyes widened, "Did it just say Telekhines?"

"Very good," the instructor said. "And why are we here?"

"Revenge!" several shouted.

"Yes, yes, but why?"

"Zeus is evil!" one monster said. "He cast us into Tartarus just because we used magic!"

"Indeed," the instructor said. "After we made so many of the gods' finest weapons, as well as the greatest weapon of the Titans, Zeus cast us away and relied on those fumbling Cyclopes. That is why we are taking over the forges of the usurper Hephaestus. And soon we will control the undersea furnaces, our ancestral home!"

They weren't joking. I knew that. Just as I knew they were right. The _telekhines_ —or sea demons—did once work for the Olympians. From what I read, they had the face of a dog but the body of a sea mammals like a crossbread of a Doberman pinscher, and sea lion. And when they started working with the kind of magic that made Zeus paranoid—well more than usual—and casted them into Tartarus and in return every cyclopes that proven loyalty to Olympus has made the Olympians their weapons.

I clutched my pen-sword. If these things were out for revenge, then this could be trouble.

"And so, younglings," the instructor continued, "who do we served?"

"Kronos!" they shouted.

"And when you grow to be big telekhines, will you make weapons for his army?"

"Yes!"

"Excellent. Now we've brought some scraps for you to practice with. Let's see how ingenious you are."

There was a rush of movement and excited voices coming toward us. Nico grabbed me and we melted into the shadows of under the tarp and we melted out into the tunnels where Nico collapsed.

"Are you okay?" I asked.

"Yeah—It just takes a lot out of me." Nico said, "I can move though."

Nico didn't seem as steady as he claim, but with reluctance, we kept moving until we reached the lava lake where in invisible force grabbed both of us and yanked us behind the cauldron.

Once we were as safe as we could, there was a shimmered of air and Annabeth shimmered into existence holding her Yankees cap, her face streaked with ashes.

"What are you two doing?" She asked.

"We got trouble!" I responded as Nico and I explained about our unplanned side trip.

"Telekhines. I should've know," Annabeth said.

"What do you mean?" Nico asked.

"Look and see yourself."

We looked and sure enough saw four monsters with a Doberman pinscher face on a sea lion's body at least eight feet tall and they were working on some kind of metal.

"The blade is almost complete," one said. "It needs another cooling in blood to fuse the metals."

"Aye," a second said. "It shall be even sharper than before."

"What is that?" Nico whispered.

Annabeth shook her head. They keep talking about fusing metals. Either way, we have to get out—"

No sooner had she said that than the door to the classroom exploded and young telekhines came pouring out. They seemed to be searching for something and I muttered in ancient Greek. They must have sensed Nico using his power.

"Annabeth make sure Nico gets out of here," I responded.

"What?" Annabeth shrieked. "No! I'm not leaving you."

"I'm not leaving either," Nico argued.

"I've got a plan. I'll distract them. You can use the metal mouse—maybe it'll lead you back to Hephaestus. You two have to tell him what's going on. And make sure Nico either make it back to Camp or the Underworld in one piece."

"But you'll be killed!" Annabeth argued.

"I'll be fine. Besides, we've got no choice."

Annabeth glared at me like she was going to punch me. And then she did something that surprised me even more. She kissed me.

"Be careful, Seaweed Brain," she said as she grabbed Nico before putting on her hat. Both turned invisible but I could swear Nico had a bit of a look of shock and disappointment.

I probably would've sat there for the rest of the day, staring at the lava and trying to remember my name was, but the sea demons jarred me back to reality.

"There! That must be one of them!" one yelled. The entire class of Telekhines charged across the bridge toward me. I ran for the middle of the platform, surprising the four elder sea demons so much they dropped the red-hot blade. It was about six feet long and curved like a cresent moon. It may of not been finished, but it was scary just looking at it.

The elder demons got over their surprise quickly. There were four ramps leading off the platform, and before I could dash in any direction, each of them had covered an exit.

The tallest one snarled. "What do we have here? A son of Poseidon?"

"Yes," another growled. "I can smell the sea in his blood."

I took out my thermos and uncapped it getting ready to fire a jet of water at them.

"Strike one of us, demigod," the third demon said, "and the rest of us shall tear you to shreds. Your father betrayed us. He took our gift—the trident—and said nothing as we were cast into the pit. We will see _him_ sliced to pieces. He and all the other Olympians."

"We'll see about that!" I said. I focus my power into the thermos and summoned a blast of water that hit and send off portion of the telekhines. I turned and hit more of the sea demons, but before I could finish, the volcano shook from some of the water hitting the lava forcing me to cap my thermos and strapped it back to my belt before I lost balance. I need a new plan that will get rid of the Telekhines before they get rid of me.

Then I remember the voice of the river naiad at the ranch: _The water is within me_.

I remember last winter how I manage to summoned a hurricane wall defense using only the snow. But here I don't have any water or snow or anything.

I had no choice though. I called to the sea. I reached inside myself and remember the waves and currents, the endless power of the ocean. And I let it loose in one horrible scream as I had the worse stomach pain from it churning.

Afterward, I could never described what happened. An explosion, a tidal wave, a whirlwind of power simultaneously catching me up and basting me downward into the lava. Fire and water collided, superheated steam, and I shot upward from the heart of the volcano in a huge explosion, just one piece of flotsam thrown free by million pounds of pressure. The last thing I remember was losing consciousness was flying, flying so high Zeus would never forgiven me, and then beginning to fall, smoke and fire and water streaming from me. I was a comet hurtling toward the earth.


	12. I Take a Vacation on Calypso's Island

**A/N:** Certain ancient Greek names matches words use of foul language but no foul language was intentionally used. Also if you haven't read them yet read 'The Tales of the Son of Poseidon & the Early Adventures' 'The Tales of the Son of Poseidon & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief' 'The Tales of the Son of Poseidon & the Olympians: The Sea of Monsters' and 'The Tales of the Son of Poseidon & the Olympians: The Titan's Curse' before reading this story. Lastly, any one who wants to do a Demigods and Olympian reads story using 'The Tales of the Son of Poseidon' is allowed _as long as_ you inform me about it.

* * *

 **I Take a Vacation on Calypso's Island**

When I finally woke up, I saw blue sky and trees above me. I heard a fountain gurgling, and smelled juniper and cedar and a bunch of other sweet scented plants. I heard waves, too, gently lapping on a rocky shore. I wonder if I was dead, but I knew better. I'd seen the Land of the Dead, and there was no blue sky.

I tried to sit up. My muscles felt like I just held up the sky, which I do know how that feels, only several times longer than before.

"Stay still," a girl's voice said. "You're too weak to rise."

She laid a cool cloth across my forehead. A bronze spoon hovered over me and liquid was dribbled into my mouth. The drink soothed my throat and left a warm chocolaty aftertaste. Nectar of the gods. Then the girl's face appeared above me.

She had almond eyes and caramel-colored hair braided over one shoulder. She was… fifteen? Sixteen? It was hard to tel. She had one of those faces that just seemed timeless. She began singing, and my pain dissolved. She was working magic. I could feel her music sinking into my skin, healing me.

"Who?" I croaked.

"Shhh, brave one," she said. "Rest and heal. No harm will come to you here. I am Calypso."

The name Calypso sounded familiar, but I didn't have time to remember where as I fell a sleep.

…

The next time I woke I was in a cave, but as far as caves go, I'd been in a lot worse. The ceiling glittered with different-color crystal formations—white and purple and green, like I was inside one of those cut geodes you see in souvenir shops. I was lying on a comfortable bed with feather pillows and white cotton sheets. The cave was divided into sections by white silk curtains. Against one wall stood a large loom and a harp. Against the other wall were shelves neatly stacked with jars of fruit preserves. Dried herbs hung from the ceiling: rosemary, thyme, and a bunch of other stuff. My mother could've named them all.

There was a fireplace built into the cave wall, and a pot of bubbling over the flames. It smelled great, like beef stew.

I sat up, trying to ignore the throbbing pain in my head. I looked myself over and found no serious injuries. I was wearing a white cotton T-shirt and cotton drawstring pants that weren't mine. My feet were bare. My wristwatch that turns into a shield and Thermos was next to the bed, and when I checked my pockets I found my pen-sword Riptide and the Stygian Ice Dog whistle along with a few more of my items.

With difficulty, I stood. The stone floor was freezing under my feet. I turned and found myself staring into a polished bronze mirror.

"Holy Poseidon," I muttered. I looked as if I'd lost twenty pounds I couldn't afford to lose. My hair was a rat's nest. I looked like one of the homeless people who begged for food.

I turned away from the mirror and strapped my thermos to my pants and wristwatch to my wrist. The cave entrance was to my left. I headed toward the daylight.

The cave opened onto a green meadow. On the left was a grove of cedar trees and on the right a huge flower garden. Four fountains gurgled in the meadow, each shooting water from the pipes of stone satyrs. Straight ahead, the grass sloped down to a rocky beach. The waves of a lake lapped against the stones. I could tell it was a lake from the fresh water. The sun sparkled on the water, and the sky was pure blue. It seemed like a paradise, which immediately made me nervous since paradises are usually places that gets a demigod killed.

The girl with the braided caramel hair, the one who'd called herself Calypso, was standing at the beach, talking to someone. I couldn't see him very well in the shimmer from the sunlight off the water, but they appeared to be arguing.

I tried to remember back to Hal's book about Calypso and it dawned to me where I heard her name before. She was a daughter of Atlas that was imprisoned on an island as a punishment for staying loyal to her father during the Titan war and ever since she been stuck on a paradise island outside of time and space. If I remember correctly, Odysseus washed up here

I walked toward her slowly because my legs were still stiff. When the grass changed to gravel, I looked down to keep my balance, and when I looked up again, the girl was alone. She wore a white sleeveless Greek dress with a low circular neckline trimmed in gold. She brushed at her eyes like she'd just been crying.

"Well," she said, trying for a smile, "the sleeper finally awakes."

"Who were you talking to?" My voice sounded like a frog that had spent time in a microwave.

"Oh… just a messenger," she said. "How do you feel, Percy?"

"You know my name?"

"You talk in your sleep."

I blushed. "Yeah. I've been… uh, told that before."

"Yes. Who is Annabeth?"

"Oh, uh. A childhood friend. We were together since we were seven," I said, "We use to travel together with two of our friends."

Calypso reached up and ran her fingers through my mangled hair. On instinct, I stepped back.

"I'm sorry," she said. "I've just grown used to caring for you."

"It's okay," I responded. "So—how did I get here in Ogygia?"

"You know your Greek stories. You fell from the sky. You landed in the water just there." She pointed across the beach. "I do not know how you survive. The water seemed to cushion your fall. You can leave to your friends once you have fully recovered, if you wish, but for now, you must heal."

She said the last bit with a bit of hurt in her voice. I remember the stories, everyone who washed up here and eventually left _never_ came back. Now that I think about it, I would have to do the same thing, but I knew Calypso was right. Despite being able to move around and her healing magic, my muscles and bones still felt like I took on a million pounds of sky, not to mention I was exhausted. With Calypso's help I returned to the cave and fell back asleep.

The next time I woke up it was night, but I wasn't sure if it was the same night or many nights later. I wrapped a robe around myself and padded outside. The stars were brilliant—thousands of them that you only see in a clear blue sky, including the newest constellation: the Huntress, a tribute to Zoë Nightshade who, after thousands of years of serving Artemis, died trying to free her and help us out.

"Percy, what do you see?"

I brought my eyes back to earth. However amazing the stars were, Calypso was twice as brilliant.

I tried to think back to what she asked.

"I was looking at the new Huntress Constellation," I admitted.

"Ah yes, the constellation of my late sister," Calypso said.

That's right. I almost forget that Zoë was a daughter of Atlas too, one of the Hesperides who watch over Ladon and the tree of the golden apples who was disowned for helping Heracles only to be abandoned by him.

"I take it you met her?" Calypso asked.

"More times than most males live to tell," I admitted.

Calypso giggled, showing an amazing smile. "Well, as long as you're up, you can help me plant these."

She handed me a plant, which had a clump of dirt and roots at the base. The flowers glowed as I held them.

Calypso picked up her gardening spade and directed me to the edge of the garden, where she began to dig.

"That's moonlace," Calypso explained. "It can only be planted at night."

I watched the silvery light flickered around the petals. I can see why it was called a moonlight since it reminded me of Artemis' chariot and Cabin eight at night.

She took the plant, and our hands met. Her fingers were warm. She planted the moonlace and stepped back, surveying her work. "I love my garden."

"It's awesome," I admitted. "Back home, my mom always wanted a garden."

"Why did she not plant one?"

"I live in a place that's hard to grow plants. The most we could do was indoor flowering," I responded.

"That is sad," Calypso responded. "Hermes visits from time to time. He tells me the world outside has changed greatly. But I did not realize it had change so much you cannot have gardens."

There was a moment of silence before Calypso broke it.

"Are—are you healed yet, my brave one? Do you think you'll be ready to leave soon?"

"I don't know," I frowned trying to move my legs. They were still stiff. I was already dizzy from standing up so long, "Not yet."

"Then you better get some rest so you can heal," Calypso said sounding a bit more hurt than before.

But before I could ask she ran off toward the beach. I was too confused to do anything but watched until she disappeared in the dark.

…

I don't know how much time passed. The time on the island was different from the rest of the world. I tried to open my empathy link to contact Grover, but I guess the magic on this island was closing off all communications for me. I constantly worried about Annabeth, Grover, Tyson, and Nico.

It took time for me to recover. It seemed that Mount St. Helens drained me more than anything else, but even if I did recover, there was still a matter of Calypso. It just didn't seem right that although some of the Olympians visit her, they never freed her.

She never talked much about herself, but that just made me want to know more. I would sit in the meadow, sipping nectar, and I would try to concentrate on the flowers or the clouds or reflections on the lake, but I was really staring at Calypso as she worked, the way she brushed her hair over her shoulder, and the little strand that fell in her face whenever she knelt to dig in the garden. Sometimes she would hold out her hand and birds would fly out of the woods to settle on her arm—lorikeets, parrots, doves. She would tell them good morning, ask how it was going back at the nest, and they would chirp for a while, then fly off cheerfully. Calypso's eyes gleamed. She would look at me and we'd shared a smile, but almost immediately she'd get that sad expression again and turn away.

One night we were eating dinner together at the beach. Invisible servants had set up a table with beef stew and apple cider, which may not sound at all that exciting, but the food was delicious. I didn't even notice the servants until I found what I thought was my bed making itself.

Anyway, Calypso and I were sitting at dinner, and she looked beautiful in the candlelight. I was telling her about New York and Camp Half-Blood, and then I started telling her about the time I got back on Ares for making Grover and I go retrieve his shield at what he knew was one of Hephaestus' traps, she laughed until our eyes met. Then she dropped her gaze.

"I'll find a way to get you off this island," I said.

"Percy, don't…" Calypso said.

"It isn't right that you're still imprisoned," I responded. "So what you supported your father. It's clear that you have some of the Olympians trust if they visit you. There must be away to convince Zeus and the rest of the Olympians to do the same as well."

"It's not that simple," Calypso said.

Just then, our dinner was interrupted by a rumbling sound somewhere out on the lake. A glow appeared on the horizon. Ig got brighter and brighter, until I could see a column of fire moving across the surface of the water, coming toward us.

"Looks like we have a visitor," Calypso sighed.

As the column of fire reached the beach, Calypso stood and bowed to it formally. The flames dissipated, and standing before us was Hephaestus.

"Lord Hephaestus," Calypso said. "This is a rare honor."

The fire god grunted. "Calypso. Beautiful as always. Would you excuse us, please, my dear? I need to have a word with our young Percy Jackson."

Hephaestus sat down clumsily at the dinner table and ordered Pepsi. The invisible servant brought him one, opened it too suddenly, and sprayed soda all over the god's work clothes. Hephaestus roared and spat a few curses and swatted the can away.

"Stupid servants," he muttered. "Good Automatons are what she needs. They never act up!"

"Hephaestus," I said. "what's going on? Is Annabeth and Nico—"

"They're fine," he said. "Resourceful girl, that one. Found her way back, dragging the boy with her and told me the whole story. If it wasn't for the boy being convince you were alive, she probably would have thought you have died."

I smirked. I guess I shouldn't be surprise if Nico knew if I was alive or not. He is the son of Hades after all.

"Anyways, I had to be sure myself you were okay and coming back before I start telling everyone where you were."

"What do you mean?" I said. "Of course I'm coming back. And I'll away to convince Zeus to free Calypso."

Hephaestus studied me skeptically. He fished something out of his pocket—a metal disk the size of an iPod. He clicked a button and it expanded into a miniature bronze TV. On the screen was a news footage of Mount St. Helens, a huge plume of fire and ash trailing into the sky.

 _"Still uncertain about further eruptions,"_ the newscaster was saying. _"Authorities have ordered the evacuation of almost half a million people as precaution. Meanwhile, ash has fallen as far away as Lake Tahoe and Vancouver, and the entire Mount St. Helens area is closed to traffic within a hundred-mile radius. While no deaths have been reported, minor injuries and illnesses include—"_

Hephaestus switched it off. "You cause quite an explosion. The Telekhines were scattered. Some vaporized. Some got away, no doubt. I don't think they'll be using my forge any time soon. On the other hand, neither will me. The explosion caused Typhon to stir in his sleep. We'll have wait and see if he will awake, but from what I heard and seen from your fight, you still don't know your own strength."

I stared at the screen in disbelief. How can I cause so much damage?

 _You will be one of the seven greatest half-bloods of your generation… possibly of all time_ , I remembered Hal said.

 _Dang, if I'm this powerful, I wonder how powerful the other six he mention are,_ I thought.

Then something else clicked in my mind.

"What about Grover and Tyson?" I asked.

Hephaestus shook his head. "No word, I'm afraid. I suppose the Labyrinth has them. As for you wanting to free Calypso, that may be harder than you realized. You think you're the only one who wanted her free?"

"Um—"

"Believe me, I would back you up in freeing Calypso, so would Hermes, Athena, your father and few others, but you would need the full support of Olympus, and as you know my father Zeus isn't the type to let go of past," Hephaestus said.

Tell me about it. Zeus still holds a grudge against my dad for just helping Hera overthrow him _thousands_ of years ago.

"But what I can do at least is fulfill my promise," Hephaestus said, "You want a way to Daedalus, right? Well, here's the thing. It has nothing to do with Ariadne's strong. Not really. Sure, the string works. That's what the Titan's army will be after. But the best way through is a special gift that only few mortals and even half-bloods have. A clear sight."

That's when it dawn to me, "The ability to see through the Mist."

Hephaestus nodded. "If you know someone like that, which judging from your expression you do, then all there is, is to leave this island. One last warning. Daedalus started well, he helped Princess Ariadne and Theseus because he felt sorry for them, and did a good deed. And everything went downhill cause of it and turned him bitter."

"Right," I responded.

Hephaestus stood. "Good-bye, lad. You did well, destroying the telekhines. I'll remember you for that."

It sounded very final, that good-bye. Then he erupted into a column of flame, and the fire moved over the water, heading back to the to the world outside.

…

It took me a while to find Calypso, but I found her in the meadow around five in the morning. Calypso was tending to the flowers by the starlight. Her moonlace glowed silver, and the other plants responded to the magic, glowing red and yellow and blue.

"He has ordered you to return," Calypso guessed.

"More like a choice," I responded.

"Her eyes met mine. "You would be immortal on this island," she said quietly. "You would never age or die. You could leave the fight to others, Percy Jackson. You could escape your prophecy."

I sighed, "As tempting as that is, I can't leave my friends to fight the Titan War when it comes. Plus I owe it to someone to see my fate to the end and have one more thing to do."

"I see," Calypso said.

"But I will convince the Olympians to free you," I promised. "I don't care what others say, if there is a way, I'll find it. I swear on the River of Styx."

The sky rumbled with thunder.

Calypso didn't tell me it was impossible. Instead, she picked a flower from her garden—a sprig of silver moonlace. It glow faded as the sun started to rise. She tucked it in my T-shirt pocket.

She stood on her tiptoes and kissed me on the forehead, like a blessing. "The come to the beach, my hero. And we will send you on your way."

…

The raft was ten-foot square of logs lashed together with a pole for a mast and a simple white linen sail. It didn't look like it would be very seaworthy, or lakeworthy.

"This will take you wherever you desire," Calypso promised. "It is quite safe and remember me. Plant a garden in Manhattan for me, will you?"

"I will," I promised. I stepped onto the raft. Immediately it began to sail from shore.

As I sailed into the lake and within minutes the island of Ogygia was lost in the mist. I was sailing alone over the water toward the sunrise. Then I told the raft what to do, bringing up the one place I need to get too to finish up this quest so I can find someway to free Calypso.

"Camp Half-Blood," I said. "Sail me home."


	13. We Hire a New Guide

**A/N:** Certain ancient Greek names matches words use of foul language but no foul language was intentionally used. Also if you haven't read them yet read 'The Tales of the Son of Poseidon & the Early Adventures' 'The Tales of the Son of Poseidon & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief' 'The Tales of the Son of Poseidon & the Olympians: The Sea of Monsters' and 'The Tales of the Son of Poseidon & the Olympians: The Titan's Curse' before reading this story. Lastly, any one who wants to do a Demigods and Olympian reads story using 'The Tales of the Son of Poseidon' is allowed _as long as_ you inform me about it.

* * *

 **We Hire a New Guide**

Hours later, my raft washed up at Camp Half-Blood. How I got there, I have no idea. At some point the lake water just changed to salt water. The familiar shoreline of Long Island appeared up ahead, and a couple of friendly great white sharks surface to steered me toward the beach.

When I landed, the camp seemed deserted. It was late afternoon, but the archery range was empty. The climbing wall poured lava and rumbled all by itself. Pavilion: nothing. Cabins: all vacant. Then I noticed smoke rising from the amphitheater. All my time in camp I knew this meant one thing, a funeral. I ran toward it.

Before I even got there I heard Chiron making an announcement. When I realized what he was saying, I stopped in my tracks.

"—assume he is dead," Chiron said.

Nico made a grunted noise like he didn't believe it, but no one wants to believe him. Even Bianca, who was there with the Hunters most likely here to help defend the camp, seemed skeptical.

"After so long a silence, it is unlikely our prayers will be answered. I have asked one of his best surviving friend to do the final honors."

Annabeth was holding the torch and was about to burn a silk burial cloth, embroidered with a trident. I quickly realize it was mine.

"Wait! I'm not dead!" I yelled.

Heads turned to me and people gasped.

"Percy!" Beckendorf grinned.

A bunch of other kids crowded around me and clapped me on the back, and a few curses from Ares cabin with an exception of Clarisse. Chiron cantered over and everyone made way for him.

"Well," he sighed with obvious relief. "I don't believe I've ever been happier to see a camper return."

"I told you he was alive!" Nico yelled.

There was a bunch of nervous laughs. Apparently no one wanted to believe Nico.

Just then I was hit by some electricity that send me flying backwards on my butt. It wasn't deadly, but it sure hurt. I didn't need to look up to know who send it.

"That was for making the camp think you were dead," a familiar voice said.

"Yeah, I got that coming," I admitted, "Nice to see you too, Thalia."

Sure it enough it was Thalia. She hasn't changed much since last winter, still dressed as a combination of punk and goth, only now she had a circlet in her hair showing that she was the lieutenant of the Hunters of the Artemis, and judging from that level of electricity she send at me, she got more of a handle of her lightning powers as well. She smiled and helped me up.

"WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?" Annabeth interrupted, shoving aside the other campers. Thalia stepped aside, and I was expecting a punch from her, but instead she hugged me so fiercely she nearly cracked my ribs. The other campers and Hunters fell silent. Annabeth seemed to realize she was making a scene and pushed me away. "Everyone thought you were dead. Nico kept saying you weren't, but no one wanted to believe him."

"Sorry," I said, "I got lost."

"LOST?" she yelled. "Two weeks, Percy? Where in the world—"

"Annabeth," Chiron interrupted. "Perhaps we should discuss this somewhere more private, shall we? Mr. di Angelo can join us if he choose. The rest of you, back to normal activities!"

Without waiting for us to protest, he picked up Annabeth and me with ease and slung us both onto his back and did the same with Nico before galloping off toward the Big House.

…

I told them everything that happened from Mount St. Helens to my departure from Ogygia—with some reluctance. I tried to avoid eye contact with Annabeth when I brought up Calypso but I could sense that Annabeth wasn't so happy.

"Well, Ogygia does explain why you were gone for two weeks," Chiron said. "Although I'm surprise you were so willing to leave."

"Prophecy child or not, I'm not about to let the camp and everyone in it get destroy," I responded not wanting to bring up the oath I made. "Anyways, I talked to Hephaestus."

"He told you the answer?" Annabeth asked.

"Yeah, apparently Hera was right when she said I already knew the way to guide through the Labyrinth and Nico was on the right path when he contacted Harriet Tubman," I responded. "We need someone who can see through the Mist. And I think I know someone who can help."

I told them my idea.

Annabeth's jaw dropped. "Percy, that's crazy!"

"We don't have much of a choice," I responded.

Annabeth looked like she was about to blow her top off.

"Annabeth, I'm not asking for her to take your place in leading this quest, only to help guide us. And I don't like the idea of bringing a mortal involved into this quest, but the camp needs all the help it can get, and the only other option is Minos," I responded.

"Fine! Whatever! Do what you think is right!" Annabeth responded before storming out of the room.

I sighed. "Well, that could have gone better."

"You think," Nico responded. "I'm going to leave too."

Nico left the room leaving just Chiron and me.

"She will calm down," Chiron promised. "She's jealous, my boy. As for the quest, Argus will take the three of you into Manhattan. You might stop by your mother's, Percy. She is… understandably distraught."

I lowered my head. I was afraid of that.

"What about Grover and Tyson?" I asked, "Do you think—"

"I don't know, my boy," Chiron gazed into the empty fireplace. "Juniper is quite distressed. All her branches are turning yellow. The Council of Cloven Elders has revoked Grover's searcher's license in _absentia_. Assuming he comes back alive, they will force him into a shameful exile." He sighted. "Grover and Tyson are very resourceful, however. We can still hope. There's something else I should tell you, Percy," he said. "Actually, two unpleasant things."

"Great."

"Chris Rodriguez, our guest…"

I remembered what I'd seen in the basement between him and Clarisse, "Is he dead?"

"Not yet," Chiron said grimly. "But he's much worse. He's in the infirmary now, too weak to move. I had to order Clarisse back to her regular schedule, because she was at his bedside constantly. He doesn't respond to anything. He won't take food or drink. None of my medicines help. He has simply lost the will to live."

"And since the fleece is what keeping us safe from the woods, we can't use it," I responded.

Chiron nodded.

"What's the other bad news?" I asked.

"Quintus has disappeared," Chiron replied.

"Disappeared? How?"

"Three nights ago he slipped into the Labyrinth. Juniper watched him go. It appears you may have been right about him."

"What about Mrs. O'Leary?" I asked.

"The hellhound is still in the arena. It won't let anyone approach. I did not have the heart to force it into a cage... or destroy it."

"I don't blame you," I responded which was true. After finding out Mrs. O'Leary only pounced on me to play when I was seven, I probably couldn't bring myself to do the same. "But it isn't like for Quintus to leave her."

"We seemed to be wrong about him. Now, you should prepare yourself for the morning. You and Annabeth still have much to do, and if Nico wants to continue this quest, it's up to him," Chiron responded.

I left him in his wheelchair, staring sadly into the fireplace. I wonder how many times he'd sat here, waiting for heroes that never came back.

Before dinner I stopped by the sword arena. Sure enough, Mrs. O'Leary was curled up in an enormous black furry mound in the middle of the stadium, chewing halfheartedly on the head of a warrior dummy.

When she saw me, she barked and came bounding toward me only to pounced on me and started licking me. Now, usually being the son of Poseidon and all, I only get wet if I want to, but this apparently wasn't the case because I got a good bath of dog saliva.

"Whoa, girl!" I yelled. "Can't breathe. Lemme up!"

Eventually I manage to get her off me. I scratch her ears and found her an extra-gigantic dog biscuit.

"Where's your master?" I asked her. "How could he leave you, huh?"

She whimpered like she wanted to know that, too. This didn't make since, Kronos is building an army to attack us, and I would figure that they would be happy to have a hellhound as big as Mrs. O'Leary. Nothing about this made any sense.

I was thinking about that and toweling the dog spit off my face when a girl's voice said, "You're lucky she didn't bite your head off."

Clarisse was standing at the other end of the arena with her sword and shield. "Came here to practice yesterday," she grumbled. "Dog tried to chew me up. If Bianca arrived when she did it probably would."

"That just shows there are good points to being friends with a child of Hades," I responded.

Clarisse didn't respond as she walked toward us. Mrs. O'Leary growled, but I patted her on the head to calm her down.

"Stupid hellhound," Clarisse said. "Not going to keep me from practicing."

"I heard about Chris," I said. "I'm sorry."

Clarisse paced a circle around the arena. When she came to the nearest dummy, she attacked viciously, chopping its head off with a single blow and driving her sword through its guts. She pulled the sword out and kept walking.

"Yeah, well. Sometimes things go wrong." Her voice was shaky. "Heroes get hurt. They… they die,, and the monsters just keep coming back."

She picked up a javelin and threw it across the arena. It nailed the dummy straight between the eyeholes of its helmet. I won't admit it out loud, but I'm glad Clarisse was on our side, because I didn't want to be on the other end of her weapons when she's angry.

"I hope Chris gets better," I responded. "He didn't deserve what that manipulative jerk of a ghost did to him."

Mrs. O'Leary growled as if knowing who I was talking about.

"I heard he did it to protect the Nico kid," Clarisse said.

"More like his assets," I responded. "He used Nico's own fatal flaw to manipulate Nico into helping him, knowing full and well it could lead Nico down the same path as his half-siblings before him and Bianca."

Clarisse looked at me.

"Percy do me a favor, don't trust Daedalus. When you see him, kill him," Clarisse said, "Anybody who can make something like the Labyrinth has to be plain evil."

"I'll do what I can," I said, which wasn't really a promise, but Clarisse took it anyways.

…

That night I slept in my own bunk, and for the first time since Calypso's Island, dreams found me.

I was in a king's courtroom—a big white chamber with marble columns and wooden thrown. Sitting on it was a plump guy with curly red hair and a crown of laurels. At his side stood three girls who looked like his daughters. They all had his red hair and were dressed in blue robes.

The door creaked open and a herald announced, "Minos, King of Crete.

I tensed, but the man on the throne just smiled at his daughters. "I can't wait to see the expression on his face."

Minos, the royal creep himself, swept into the room. He was tall and serious he made the other king look silly. Minos' pointy beard had gone gray. He looked thinner than the last time I'd dreamed of him, and his sandals were splattered with mud, but the same cruel light shined in his eyes.

He bowed stiffly to the man on the throne. "King Cocalus. I understand you have solved my little riddle?"

Cocalus smiled. "Hardly _little_ , Minos. Especially when you advertised across the world that you are willing to pay a thousand gold talents to the one who can solve it. Is the offer genuine?"

Minos clapped his hands. Two buff guards walked in, struggling with a big wooden crate. They set it at Cocalus' feet and opened it. Stacks of gold bars glittered.

Cocalus whistled appreciatively. "You must have bankrupted your kingdom for such a reward, my friend."

"That is none of your concern."

Cocalus shrugged. "The riddle was quite simple, really. One of my retainers solved it."

"Father," one of the girls warned. She looked like the oldest—a little taller than her sisters.

Cocalus ignored her. He took a spiral seashell from the folds of his robe. A silver strong that had been threated through it, so it hung like a hug bead on a necklace.

Minos stepped forward and took the shell. "One of your retainers, you say? How did he thread the strong without breaking the shell?"

"He used an ant, if you can believe it. Tied a silk string to the little creature and coaxed it through the shell by putting honey at the far end."

"Ingenius man," Minos said.

Even I have to admit that was pretty smart. I don't think I would of think of using an ant for such a task, and by the sound of it the guy—who I have a feeling who it is—manage to do it _without_ trying to poke a whole in a seashell.

"Oh, indeed. My daughters' tutor. They are quite fond of him."

Minos' eyes turned cold. "I would be careful of that."

I wanted to warn Cocalus: _Don't trust this guy! Throw him in the dungeon with some man-eating lions or something!_ But the redheaded king chuckled. "Not to worry, Minos. My daughters are wise beyond their years. Now about my gold—"

"Yes," Minos said. "But you see the gold is for the man who solved the riddle. And there can be only one such man. You are harboring Daedalus."

Cocalus shifted uncomfortably on his throne. "How is it that you know his name?"

"He is a thief," Minos said. "He once worked in my court, Cocalus. He turned my own daughter against me. He helped a usurper make a fool of me in my own palace. And then he escaped justice. I have been pursuing him for ten years."

"I knew nothing of this. But I have offered the man my protection. He has been a most useful—"

"I offer you a choice," Minos said. "Turn over the fugitive to me, and this gold is yours. Or risk making me your enemy. You do not want Crete as your enemy."

Cocalus paled and I don't blame him. Alive Minso was well known son of Zeus (another one who I don't like to think of as Thalia's—and now Jason's—half-brother) who used it along with his power over Crete and for a time threaten lives with the Minotaur to make many fear him. Even now, when Minos only has two guards with him, Minos looks intimidating.

"Father," his oldest daughter said, "you can't—"

"Silence, Aelia." Cocalus twisted his beard. He looked again at the glittering gold. "This pains me, Minos. The gods do not love a man who breaks his oath of hospitality."

"The gods do not love those who harbor criminals, either."

Cocalus nodded. "Very well. You shall have your man in chains."

"Father!" Aelia said again. Then she caught herself, and changed her voice to a sweeter tone. "At—at least let us feast our guest first. After his long journey, he should be treated to a hot bath, new clothes, and a decent meal. I would be honored to draw the bath myself."

She smiled prettily at Minos, and the old king grunted. "I suppose a bath would not be amiss." He looked at Cocalus. "I will see you at dinner, my lord. With the prisoner."

"This way, Your Majesty," said Aelia. She and her sisters led Minos out of the chamber.

I followed them into a bath chamber decorated with mosaic tiles. Steamed filled the air. A running-water faucet poured hot water into the tub. Aelia and her sisters filled it with rose petals and something that made the water covered itself with multicolor foam like those Mr. Bubble stuff. The girls turned aside as did I when Minos started undoing his robes. I turned back the same time the girls did thankfully when Minos was in the bath.

"Ahh." He smiled. "An excellent bath. Thank you, my dears. The journey has been long indeed."

"You have been chasing your prey for ten years, my lord?" Aelia asked, batting her eyelashes. "You must be very determined."

"I never forget a debt." Minos grinned. "Your father was wise to agree to my demands."

"Oh, indeed, my lord!" Aelia said, laying on the flattery pretty thick, but the old guy was eating it up. Aelia's sisters trickled scented oil over the king's head.

"You know, my lord," Aelia said, "Daedalus thought you would come. He thought the riddle might be a trap, but he couldn't resist solving it."

Minos frowned. "Daedalus spoke to you about me?"

"Yes, my lord."

"He is a bad man, princess. My own daughter fell under his spell. Do not listen to him."

"He is a genius," Aelia said. "And he believes a woman is just as smart as a man. He was the first to ever teach us as if we had minds of our own. Perhaps your daughter felt the same way."

Minos tried to sit up, but Aelia's sisters pushed him back into the water. Aelia came up behind him. She held three tiny orbs in her palm before throwing them into the water. When they landed, the beads sprouted bronze threads that began wrapping around the king, tying him up at the ankles, binding his wrist to his sides, circling his neck in a way that has horrific to watch. Minos thrashed and cried out, but the girls were much stronger. Soon he was helpless, lying in the bath with his chin just above the water. The bronze strands were still wrapping around him like a cocoon, tightening across his body.

"What do you want?" Minos demanded. "Why do you do this?"

Aelia smiled. "Daedalus has been kind to us, Your Majesty. And I do not like you threatening our father."

"You tell Daedalus," Minos growled. "You tell him I will hound him even after death! If there is any justice in the Underworld, my soul will haunt him for eternity!"

"Brave words, Your Majesty," Aelia said. I wish you luck finding your justice in the Underworld."

And with that, the bronze threads wrapped around Minos' face, making him a bronze mummy.

The door of the bathhouse opened. Daedalus stepped in, carrying a traveler's bag.

He'd trimmed his hair short. His beard was pure white.

He looked frail and sad, but he reached down and touched the mummy's forehead. The threads unraveled and sank to the bottom of the tub. There was nothing inside them. It was as if King Minos had just dissolved.

"A painless death," Daedalus mused. "More than he deserved. Thank you, my princesses."

Aelia hugged him. "You cannot stay here, teacher. When our father finds out—"

"Yes," Daedalus said. "I fear I have brought you trouble."

"Oh, do not worry for us. Father will be happy enough taking that old man's gold. And Crete is a very long way away. But he will blame you for Minos' death. You must flee somewhere safe."

"Somewhere safe," the old man repeated. "For years I have fled from kingdom to kingdom, looking for somewhere safe. I fear Minos told the truth. Death will not stop him from hounding me. There is no place under the sun that will harbor me, once word of this crime gets out."

"Then where will you go?" Aelia said.

"A place I swore never to enter again," Daedalus said. "My prison may be my only sanctuary."

"I do not understand," Aelia said.

"It's best you did not."

"But what of the Underworld?" one of her sisters asked. "Terrible judgment will await you! Every man must die."

"Perhaps," Daedalus said. Then he brought a scroll from his traveling bag—the same scroll I'd seen in my last dream, with his nephew's notes. "Or perhaps not."

He patted Aelia's shoulder, then blessed her and her sisters. He looked down once more at the coppery threads glinting in the bottom of the bath. "Find me if you dare, king of ghosts."

He turned toward the mosaic wall and touched a tile. A glowing mark appeared—a Greek L—and the wall slid aside. The princesses gasped.

"You never told us of secret passages!" Aelia said. "You have been busy."

"The _Labyrinth_ has been busy," Daedalus corrected. "Do not try to follow me, my dears, if you value your santity."

My dream shifted. I was underground in a stone chamber. Luke and another half-blood warrior were studying a map by flashlight.

Luke cursed. "It should've been the last turn." He crumped up the map and tossed it aside.

"Sir!" His companion protested.

"Maps are useless here," Luke said. "Don't worry. I'll find it."

"Sir, is it true that the larger group—"

"The more likely you'll get lost? Yes, that's true. Why do you think we sent out solo explorers to begin with? But don't worry. As soon as we have the thread, we can lead the vanguard through."

"But how will we _get_ the thread?"

Luke stood, flexing his fingers. "Oh, Quintus will come through. All we have to do is reach the arena, and it's at a juncture. Impossible to get anywhere without passing it. That's why we must have a truce with its master. We just have to stay alive until—"

"Sir!" A new voice came through the corridor. Another guy in Greek armor ran forward, carrying a torch. "The _dracaenae_ found a half-blood!"

Luke scowled. "Alone? Wondering the maze?"

"Yes, sir! You better come quick. They're in the next chamber. They've got him cornered."

"Who is it?"

"No one I've ever seen before, sir."

Luke nodded. "A blessing from Kronos. We may be able to use this half-blood. Come!"

They ran down the corridor, and I woke with a start, staring into the dark. _A_ _lone half-blood, wandering in the maze_. It was a long time before I got to sleep again.

The next morning I made sure Mrs. O'Leary had enough dog biscuits. I asked Beckendorf to keep an eye on her, which he didn't seem too happy about. Then I hiked over Half-Blood Hill and met Annabeth Nico and Argus on the road. Apparently Nico decided to stay on the quest, having enough of the campers disregarding him for a while.

Annabeth and I didn't talk much in the van. Argus never spoke, which is pretty much normal from him.

Nico was holding a knife that looked like what the hunters gave him.

"Bianca gave it to me," Nico said, "It's against the rules, but after hearing about the Labyrinth, she said I'll need it."

I didn't argue against it. Bianca may have joined the Hunters, but she's still the daughter of Hades, and just like Nico, she most likely has powers over the dead. Plus after last night's dream, I can't help but be cautious myself about going back in the Labyrinth.

It was Saturday, and traffic was heavy going into the city. We arrived at my mom's apartment around noon. When she answered the door, she gave me a hug only a little less overwhelming than having a hellhound jump on you.

"I _told_ them you were all right," my mom said, but she sounded like the weight of the sky had just been lifted off her shoulders.

She sat us down at the kitchen table and insisted on feeding us her special chocolate-chip cookies. One thing I like about my mom is she doesn't judge someone by their parentage or the history of their half-siblings. Even after finding out Nico was the son of Hades, she still treated him like he was one of the family.

We filled her in on our quest so far and I tried to water down the frightening parts as best as I could.

When I got to the part about Geryon and the stables, my mom pretended like she was going to strangle me. "I can't get him to clean his room, but he'll clean a hundred tons of horse manure out of some monster's stables.

Annabeth laughed. It was the first time I'd heard her laugh in a long time, and it was nice to hear.

"So," my mom said when I was done with the story, "you wrecked Alcatraz Island, made Mount St. Hellens explode, and displaced half a million people, but at least you're safe." That's my mom, always looking on the bright side of thing.

"That pretty much covers it," I agreed, "Although too be honest after hearing what I did to Mount St. Hellens, I'll admit I'm curious and a little nervous about how powerful other six demigods Hal mention would be."

I couldn't help but glance at Nico when I said that. Although he might not be the prophecy child, there was a chance that, being a child of the big three, he could possibly one.

"I wish Pau were here," she said, half to herself. "He wanted to talk to you."

"Oh, right. The school," I responded, remembering the orientation.

"The school believes what you said about the girl working for the kidnapping terrorist, but Paul—He knows something is different about you, Percy. He's a smart man. He doesn't know what's going on, but the school is pressuring him for answers. After all, he got you admitted there and almost immediately during orientation you were caught in what they believe was a terrorist attack."

"What are you talking about? What terrorist attack?" Nico asked.

I had almost forgot that Nico most likely had no clue what we were talking about. Thankfully with Annabeth help we explained to him about our quest for Zeus' Master Bolt and Hades' Helm of Darkness—leaving out the part where we first blamed Nico's dad for stealing the bolt and how I framed an Empousa for working for what the mortals believed was the kidnapping terrorist.

"I'll talk to him," I promised once we were done explaining to Nico, "After we're done with the quest. I'll even tell him the truth if you want."

My mom put her hand on my shoulder. "You would do that?"

"Well, yeah. I mean, he might think I'm crazy at first, Afbut maybe when Tyson comes to visit after he and Grover returns from finding Pan we can ask him if he's wants to help convince Paul otherwise," I responded, "If not, we can find some other way."

My mom smiled for a bit as she knew what I really mean was to ask Tyson if he'll let me remove the Mist around him so Paul can see who he truly is.

"Thank you, Percy. I'll him you'll be home…" she frowned. "When? What happens now?"

Annabeth broke her cookie in half. "Percy has this _plan_."

Reluctantly I told my mom.

She nodded slowly. "It sounds very dangerous, but it might work. Just be careful. Promise me you'll be safe."

"We'll try, Ms. Jackson," Annabeth said, "Keeping your son safe is a big job, though." She folded her arms and glared out the kitchen window. I picked at my napkin and tried not to say anything. Nico rolled his eyes at us.

My mom frowned. "What's going on with you two? Have you been fighting?"

Neither of us said anything, but Nico must have decided to give a water down version, "Annabeth doesn't like Percy's plan. She thinks it means removing her as quest leader."

"It's not," I argued back, but sending Nico a grateful look for not mentioning about Ogygia which I left out during our explanation.

"I see," my mom said with a tone that told me that she figured there was more. "Well, remember," she said, "Grover and Tyson are counting on the three of you."

"I know," the three of us said at the same time.

My mom smiled. "Percy, you'd better use the phone in the hall. Good luck."

I was relieved to get out of the kitchen, even though I was nervous what I was about to do. I went to the phone and pace the call. The number was washed off my hand a long time ago, but that was okay. Without meaning too, I'd memorized it.

I set the meeting spot at Times Square and returned to the kitchen to find Nico enjoying some blue chocolate chip cookies while ignoring my mom and Annabeth who were talking to each other. Annabeth seemed relax and even laughed, so I guess my mom was trying to make Annabeth feel better about hiring a guide.

Of course before we left, my mom hugged each of us, much to my embarrassment and Nico's awkwardness, and gave each of us some cookies for the trip.

…

We found Rachel Elizabeth Dare in front of the Marriott Marquis, and she was completely painted gold.

I mean her face, her hair, her clothes—everything. She looked like she was touched by Ming Midas. She was standing like a statue with five other kids all painted metallic—copper, bronze, silver. They were frozen in different poses while tourists hustled past or stopped to stare. Some passerby threw money at the tarp on the sidewalk.

The sign at Rachel's feet said, URBAN ART FOR KIDS, DONATION APPRECIATED.

Annabeth Nico and I stood there for like five minutes, staring at Rachel, but if she noticed us she didn't let on. She didn't move or even blink that I could see. Being ADHD and all, I could not have done that. Standing still that long would've driven me crazy. It was weird to see Rachel in gold, too. She looked like a statue of somebody famous or something. Onlly her eyes were normal green.

"Maybe if we donate she'll move," Nico said.

"Or we could push her over," Annabeth suggested.

I thought that was a little mean, but Rachel didn't respond. After another few minutes, a kid in silver walked up from the hotel taxi stand, where he'd been taking a break. He took a pose like he was lecturing the crowd, right next to Rachel. Rachel unfroze and stepped off the tarp.

"Hey, Percy," She grinned. "Good timing! Let's get some coffee."

We walked down to a place called the Java Moose on West 43rd. Rachel ordered an Espresso Extreme, the kind of stuff Grover would like. Nico Annabeth and I got fruit smoothies and we sat at a table right under the stuffed moose. Nobody even looked twice at Rachel in her golden outfit.

"So—whose the kid?" Rachel asked looking at Nico.

"This is Nico di Angelo, he's a part time camper that I'm watching over for the time being," I explained, using _part time_ since whether or not Nico comes back to camp depends on him.

Rachel nodded understanding and turned to Annabeth, "And you're Annabell, right?"

"Annabeth," Annabeth corrected.

"Do you always dressed in gold?" Nico asked.

"Not usually," Rachel said. "We're raising money for our group. We do volunteer art projects for elementary kids 'cause they're cutting art from schools, you know? We do this once a month, take in about five hundred dollars on a good weekend. But I'm guessing you don't want to talk about that. You are a half-blood, too?"

"Shhh!" Annabeth said, looking around.

"Yes, Annabeth and Nico both are, Rachel. But it's bad luck for us or anyone around us to blurt out what we are or talk about you-know-what in public," I explained, "Mortals that can't see through the veil might not think much about it, but the you-know-what will."

"Okay, sorry," Rachel responded.

"Look, Rachel. We've got a quest, and we need your help," I said.

" _You_ need my help, Mr. 'I-can- _convince_ -people-with-a-snap-of-the-finger'?" Rachel asked.

"Maybe," Annabeth said sullenly as she stirred her straw in her smoothie.

I told Rachel about the Labyrinth, and how we needed to find Daedalus. I told her what had happened the last few times we'd gone in.

"So you want me to guide you," she said. "Through a place I've never been."

"You can see through the Mist," I said. "Just like Ariadne. I'm betting you can see the right path. The Labyrinth won't be able to fool you as easily."

"And if you're wrong?"

"Then we'll get lost. Either way, it'll be very dangerous. Especially if we run into—into Luke," I said trying to keep calm. "He been deceived by a Titan and cause of it he will kill anyone that defies him."

"I take it this Luke guy was a friend of yours?" Rachel asked.

I nodded. "Annabeth and I both knew him since we were seven."

"Okay," she said, "I'm in."

I blinked. I hadn't figured it would be so easy. "Are you sure?"

"Hey, my summer was going to be boring. This is the best offer I've gotten yet. So what do I look for?"

"We have to find an entrance to the Labyrinth," Annabeth said. "There's an entrance at Camp Half-Blood, but you can't go there. It's off-limits to mortals."

She said _mortals_ ike it was some sort of terrible condition, but Rachel just nodded. "okay. What does an entrance to the Labyrinth look like?"

"It could be anything," Annabeth said. "A section of wall. A boulder. A doorway. A sewer entrance. But it would have the mark of Daedalus on it. A Greek L, glowing in blue."

"Like this?" Rachel drew the symbol Delta in water on our table.

"That's it," Annabeth said. "You know Greek?"

"No," Rachel said. She pulled a big blue plastic hairbrush from her pocket and started brushing the gold out of her hair. "Let me get changed. You'd better come with me to the Marriott."

"Why?" Nico asked.

"Because there's an entrance like that in the hotel basement, where we store our costumes. It's got the mark of Daedalus."


	14. My Brother Duels me to the Death

**A/N:** Certain ancient Greek names matches words use of foul language but no foul language was intentionally used. Also if you haven't read them yet read 'The Tales of the Son of Poseidon & the Early Adventures' 'The Tales of the Son of Poseidon & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief' 'The Tales of the Son of Poseidon & the Olympians: The Sea of Monsters' and 'The Tales of the Son of Poseidon & the Olympians: The Titan's Curse' before reading this story. Lastly, any one who wants to do a Demigods and Olympian reads story using 'The Tales of the Son of Poseidon' is allowed _as long as_ you inform me about it.

* * *

 **My Brother Duels me to the Death**

The metal door was hidden behind a laundry bin full of dirty hotel towels. None of us would have guessed it was there if Rachel didn't show us.

"It hasn't been used in a long time," Annabeth said.

"I tried to open it once," Rachel said, "just out of curiosity. It's rusted shut."

"No." Annabeth stepped forward. "It just needs the touch of a half-blood."

However, before Annabeth touch it, Nico already did. The metal door unsealed and creaked open, revealing a dark staircase leading down.

"Next time stop trying to argue with the Guide," Nico told Annabeth.

"Wow." Rachel looked calm, but I couldn't tell if she was pretending or not. She'd changed into a ratty Museum of Modern Art T-shirt and her regular marker-colored jeans, her blue plastic hairbrush sticking out of her pocket. Her red hair was tied back, but she still had flecks of gold in it, and traces of gold glitter on her face. "So… after you?"

"You're the guide," Annabeth said with mock politeness. "Lead on."

The stars led down to a large brick tunnel. It was so dark I couldn't see two feet in front of us, but Annabeth and I restocked on flashlights. As soon as we switched them on, Rachel yelped.

"It's just a skeleton," Nico stated.

Sure enough, that is what it was, only it was grinning at us and it wasn't human. It was huge—at least ten feet tall. It had been strung up, chained by its wrists and ankles so it made a kind of giant X over the tunnel. But what really sent a shiver down my back was a single black eye socket in the center of its skull.

"A Cyclops," Annabeth said. "It's very old. It's not… anybody we know."

In other words it wasn't Tyson. Normally it would make me feel better, but seeing it made me nervous. There are only a handful of monsters that will take on a full grown Cyclopes, and whoever killed this one must have placed it as a warning.

Rachel swallowed. "You have a friend who's a Cyclops?"

"Tyson," I said, "My adopted Half-brother."

"Your _Adopted Half Brother_?"

"He's not like some of the Cyclopes you might of heard of or seen, and believe me, Annabeth and I had our fare share of dangerous Cyclopes to know," I explained, "He's down here with our satyr friend Grover looking for a lost god. Hopefully we'll find them later."

"Oh." Rachel's voice was small as if unconvinced. "Well then, we'd better keep moving.

She stepped under the skeleton's left arm and kept walking. Annabeth Nico and I exchange looks, shrugged and followed her deeper into the maze.

After fifty feet we came to a crossroads. Ahead, the brick tunnel continued. To the right, he walls were made of ancient marble slabs. To the left, the tunnel was dirt and tree roots.

I pointed to the left. "That looks like the tunnel Tyson and Grover took."

Annabeth frowned. "Yeah, but the architecture to the right—those old stones—that's more likely to lead to an ancient part of the maze, toward Daedalus' workshop."

"We need to go straight," Rachel said.

Annabeth Nico and I looked at her.

"That's the least likely choice," Annabeth said.

"You don't see it?" Rachel asked. "Look at the floor."

I saw nothing except well-worn bricks and mud.

"There's a brightness there," Rachel insisted. "Very faint. Bu forward is the correct way. To the left, down the tunnel, those tree roots are moving like feelers. I don't like that. To the right, there's a trap twenty feet down. Hoes in the walls, maybe for spikes. I don't think we should risk it."

I didn't see anything like she was describing, but I nodded. "Okay. Forward."

"You believe her?" Annabeth asked.

"I don't think we have much of a choice but to believe her," Nico said.

Annabeth looked like she wanted to argue, but she waved Rachel to lead on. Together we kept walking down the brick corridor. It twisted and turned, but there were no more side tunnels. We seemed to by angling down, heading deeper underground.

"No traps?" I asked anxiously.

"Nothing." Rachel knit her eyebrows. "Should it be this easy?"

"I don't know. It never was before, but we didn't have a guide at the time," I responded.

"For most of my journey down here with Minos were safe with a few exceptions," Nico said.

Well, I guess that ended any arguments about needing a proper guide, but that didn't stop Annabeth from finding something else to argue with Rachel.

"So, Rachel," Annabeth said, "where are you from, exactly?"

She said it like, _What planet are you from_? But Rachel didn't look offended.

"Brookyn," she said.

"Aren't your parents going to be worried if you're out late?"

Rachel exhaled. "Not likely. I could be gone a week and they'd never notice."

"Why not?" This time Annabeth didn't sound sarcastic, which is not surprising. Annabeth knows what it like is to have parent trouble.

Before Rachel could answer, there was a creaking noise in front of us, like huge doors opening.

"What was that?" Annabeth asked.

"I don't know," Rachel said. "Metal hinges."

"Oh, that's very helpful. I mean _what is it_?"

"Can you two stop _arguing_ and _listen_?" Nico responded.

They did so and I understand why Nico interrupted them. I heard heavy footsteps shaking the corridor—coming toward us.

"Run," I responded.

We turned and fled the way we'd come, but we didn't make it twenty feet before we ran straight into some old friends. Two _dracaenae_ —snake women in Greek armor—leveled their javelins at our chests. Standing between them was Kelli the _empousa_.

I uncapped Riptide, Annabeth pulled her knife and Nico draw his Styxian Iron Sword. Bu before my sword was even out of pen form, Kelli pounced on Rachel. Her hand turned into a claw and she spun Rachel around, holding her tight with her talons at Rachel's neck.

"Taking your little mortal pet for a walk?" Kelli asked me. "They're such fragile things. So easy to break!"

Behind us, the footsteps came closer. A huge form appeared out of the gloom—an eight-foot-tall Laistrygonian giant with red eyes and fangs.

The giant licked his lips when he saw us. "Can I eat them?"

"No," Kelli said. "Your master want these. They will provide a great deal of entertainment, and we might get this one"—she pointed at Nico—"to join our cause." She smiled at me. "Now march, half-bloods. Or the mortal girl will die."

It was pretty much my worst nightmare. We were marched down the tunnel flanked by _dracaenae_ , with Kelli and the giant in back, just in case we tried to run for it. Nobody seemed to worry about us running forward. That was the direction they wanted us to go.

Up ahead I could see bronze doors. They were about ten feet tall, emblazoned with a pair of crossed swords. From behind them came a muffled roar, like from a crowd.

"Oh, yessssss," said the snake woman on my left. "You'll very popular with our hosssssst."

I'd never gotten to look at a _dracaena_ up close before, and I wasn't real thrilled to have the opportunity. She would've had a beautiful face, except her tongue was forked and her eyes were yellow with black slits for pupils. She wore bronze armor that stopped at her waist. Bellow that, where her legs should've been, were two massive snake trunks, mottled bronze and green. She moved by a combination of slithering and walking, as if she were on living skis.

"Who's your host?" I asked.

She hissed, which might have been a laugh. "Oh, you'll ssssssee. You'll get along famousssly. He'ssss your brother after all."

At first my thoughts went to Tyson, but then I remember Chris Rodriguez's warning about a son of Poseidon.

I doubt it was Polyphemous, I met the guy and even if he had reformed after I slayed him, Polyphemus is not the type to work with Half-Bloods so easily unless it involves eating them.

Then again, none of the monsters that are working for Kronos seemed to be the type either to work with half-bloods either.

The giant pushed us and opened the doors. He picked up Annabeth and Nico by their shirts and said, "You two stay here."

"Hey!" Annabeth protested.

"Let me go!" Nico yelled.

But the giant was twice Annabeth's size and he'd already confiscated our weapons, even my wristwatch and Thermos.

Kelli laughed. She still had her claws at Rachel's neck. "Now go on, Percy. Entertain us. We need the boy, but we'll willing to risk both him and the girl to make sure you behave."

I looked at Rachel. "I'll get you out of this, all of you."

"That would be nice," Rachel said.

The _dracaenae_ prodded me toward the doorway at javelin-point, and I walked out onto the floor of the arena.

I guess it wasn't the largest arena I'd ever been in, but it seemed pretty spacious considering the whole place was underground. The dirt floor was circular, just big enough that you could drive a car around the rim if you pulled it really tight. In the center of the arena, a fight was going on between a giant and a centaur. The centaur looked panicked. He was galloping around his enemy, using sword and shield, while the giant swung a javelin the size of a telephone pole and the crowd cheered.

The first tier of seats was twelve feet above the arena floor. Plain stone benches wrapped all the way around, and every seat was full. There were giants, _dracaenae_ , demigods, telekhines, and strange thing: bat winged demons and creatures that seemed half human and half bird, reptile, insect, or mammals.

But the creepiest thing were the skulls. The arena was full of them. They ringed the edge of the railing. Three-foot-high piles of them decorated the steps between the benches. They grinned from pies at the back of the stands and hung on chains from the ceiling like horrible chandeliers. Some of them looked very old—nothing but bleached-white bone. Others looked a lot fresher. I'm not going to describe them. Believe me you don't want to know.

In the middle of all this, proudly displayed on the side of the spectator's wall, was something that made my stomach churned—a green banner with the trident of Poseidon in the center. I don't know what it's doing here, but I don't like it.

Above the banner, sitting in a seat of honor, was an old friend-turned-enemy.

"Luke," I said.

I'm not sure he could hear me over the roar of the crowd, but he smiled coldly. He was wearing camouflage pants, and white T-shirt, and bronze breastplate, just like I'd seen in my dream. But he still wasn't wearing his sword, which I thought was strange. Next to him sat the largest giant I'd ever seen, much larger than the one on the floor fighting the centaur. The giant next to Luke must've been fifteen feet tall, easy, and so wide he took up three seats. He wore only a loincloth, like a sumo wrestler. His skin was dark red and tattooed with wave designs.

There was a cry from the arena floor and I jumped back as the centaur crashed to the dirt beside me.

He met my eyes pleadingly. "Help!"

I reached for my sword, but it had been taken from me and hadn't reappeared in my pocket yet.

The centaur struggled to get up as the giant approached, his javelin ready.

A talon-hand gripped my shoulder. "If you value your friendsss' lives," my _dracaena_ guard said, "you won't interfere. This isssn't your fight. Wait your turn. You and Hadesss' sssson will go next."

I didn't like the idea of Nico fighting but I don't think we have much of a choice.

The centaur couldn't get up. One of his legs was broken. The giant put his huge foot on the horseman's chest and raised the javelin. He looked up at Luke. The crowd cheered, "DEATH! DEATH!"

Luke didn't do anything, but the tattooed sumo dude sitting next to him rose. He smiled down at the centaur, who was whimpering, "Please! No!"

Then the sumo dude held out his hand and gave the _thumbs down_ sign.

I closed my eyes as the gladiator giant thrust his javelin. When I looked again, the centaur was gone, disintegrated to ashes. Al that was left was a single hoof, which the giant took up as a trophy and showed the crowd. They roared their approval.

A gate opened at the opposite end of the stadium and the giant marched out in triumph.

In the stands, the sumo giant raised his hands for silence.

"Good entertainment!" he bellowed. "But nothing I haven't seen before. What else do you have, Luke, Son of Hermes?"

Luke's jaw tightened and I winced. Luke still hated his father for leaving him with his insane mother—who only lost her sanity to whatever experience she had with the Oracle. I however knew the truth for years, but I never got the chance to tell him, especially after he joined Kronos, and after everything that happened since he left camp, I questioned if I ever would, or if Kronos twisted Luke so much that if he would believe me

"Lord Antaeus," Luke said, loud enough for the crowd to hear. "You have been an excellent host! We would be happy to amuse you, to repay the favor of passing through your territory."

Wait, did he just said Antaeus?

"A favor I have not yet granted," Antaeus growled. "I wanted entertainment!"

Luke bowed. "I believed I have something better than centaurs to fight your arena now. I have a brother of yours." He pointed at me. "Percy Jackson, son of Poseidon and once-prophesized great. Along with him Nico di Angelo, son of Hades."

The way Luke said once-prophesized sound as if he gave up on the thought of Hal's prediction about me.

The crowd began jeering at me and throwing stones, which I dodge as best as I could.

Antaeus' eyes lit up. "A son of Poseidon once-prophesized to be a great hero and a son of Hades? Then he should fight well!"

"Or die well—if it pleases you," Luke said, "will you let our armies cross your territory if it does?"

"Perhaps!" Antaeus said.

Luke didn't looked too please about the "perhaps." He glared down at me, as if warning me that I'd better die in a really spectacular way or I'd be in big trouble.

"Luke!" Annabeth yelled. "Stop this. Let us go!"

Luke seemed to notice her for the first time. He looked stunned for a moment. "Annabeth?"

"Enough time for the females and the male to fight afterward," Antaeus interrupted. "First, Percy Jackson and Nico di Angelo, what weapons will you choose?"

The _dracaenae_ pushed me into the middle of the arena.

I stared up at Antaeus. "You're _that_ Antaeus aren't you? The son of Poseidon on Gaea, right?"

Antaeus laughed, as did the rest of the crowd.

"Not just that, but I'm Poseidon's favorite son!" Antaeus boomed. "Behold, my temple to the Earthshaker, built from the skulls of all those I've killed in his name. Your skull shall join them."

"Is he serious?" Nico asked.

"I highly doubt that," I responded which was true. I read about how people made sacrifices to Poseidon back in ancient Greece, even in ancient Rome, heck I sacrifice the Nemean Lion fur-coat to my dad to insure the safety of the cow-serpent Orthus last winter, and as terrifying as the shrine of skulls is, I doubt it made much a difference to dad.

"Weapons," Antaeus insisted. "And then we will see how you die. Will you have axes? Shields? Nets? Flamethrowers?"

"I just my sword, my wristwatch, and my thermos," I said.

"I'll just have my sword.

Laughter erupted from the monsters, but immediately my wristwatch appeared on my wrist, thermos on my belt, and Riptide in my hands, which the celestial bronze's glowing blade caused many to quiet down.

"Round one!" Antaeus announced.

The gates opened and two warriors came out. One was a dracaena holding a trident in one hand and a weighted net in the other. The other was a young warrior, about sixteen at least. He had glossy black hair, and his left eye was covered with an eye patch. He was thin and wiry so his Greek armor hung on him loosely. He stabbed his sword into the dirt, adjusted his shied strap, and pulled on his horsehair helmet. He looked familiar.

"Have we met before?" I asked.

"I'm surprise you don't remember, Percy Jackson," the warrior said, "We use to train together."

"What?"

"Percy!" Nico alerted.

The Dracaena had came at me while I was distracted with her trident. I quickly uncapped my thermos and summoned a blast of water that hit her and forced her back.

Once knocked down I hit the button on my wrist watch and my shield spiraled out. I took it off and handed it to Nico. "Here, you might need this more than I do."

Nico looked like he want to argue but took it anyways. The crowd booed at us but Antaeus looked like he wasn't going to argue, rather interested. I guess it wasn't every day a son of Poseidon lend one of his weapons to a son of Hades.

The warrior from before decided to charge at me. I blocked him with my sword, which caused the crowd to roar.

I turned to Nico who seem to have the Dracaena's attention.

The warrior tried to slam me with his shield while my attention was turned, but I saw it in time and dodge it. The guy was good. He parried and slashed at me, forcing me to block and dodge. I tried to keep on his blind side, but apparently he's been fighting with one eye for a long time, because he was excellent at guarding his left side.

"NO! Too fast!" Antaeus yelled, but not at me.

I turned to see that Nico had slammed his sword in the ground and created a fissure that swallowed up the dracaena.

My opponent yelled an angry battle cry and charged me, but I parried his blade. Ethan pressed me, but I had no trouble defending, even without my shield. He dressed for defense—heavy armor and shield—which made it very tiring to play offense. I was a softer target, but I also was lighter and faster.

Finally the warrior made his mistake. He tried to jab at my stomach, and I locked his sword hilt in mine and twisted. His sword dropped to the dirt. Before he could recover, I slammed the butt of my sword into his helmet and pushed him down. His heavy armor helped me more than him. He fell on his back, dazed and tired. I put the tip of my sword at his chest.

Nico rushed over to help but I waved my hand and stopped him.

"Get it over with," the warrior groaned.

I looked up at Antaeus. He red face was stony with displeasure and anger—most likely because Nico ended the dracaena before he gave a call—but he gave Ethan the _thumbs down_.

"Forget it." I sheathed my sword.

"Don't be a fool," the warrior groaned. "They'll just kill us both."

I offered him my hand. Reluctantly, he took it. I helped him up.

"No one dishonors the games!" Antaeus bellowed. "All of your heads shall be tributes to Poseidon!"

I turned to Nico, "When you see the chance, get the guy out of here." I then turned back to Antaeus. "Why don't you fight me yourself? If you've got Dad's favor, come down and prove it!"

The monsters grumbled in the stands. Antaeus looked around, and apparently he had no choice. He couldn't say no without looking like a coward.

"I am the greatest wrestler in the world, boy," he warned. "I have been wrestling since the first _pankration_!"

For those who don't know, _pankration_ is the fight to the death with no rules. No holds barred. It used to be an Olympic sport.

Also, Antaeus is not completely true. He loss to one other hero in the past, Hercules (yes, him again). But I don't think it would be a great idea to bring it up.

Rachel was watching Nico and me with wide eyes. Annabeth shook her head emphatically.

I pointed my sword at Antaeus. "I'm not scared of you! I already beaten Polyphemus last year."

"Hah!" Antaeus said. "Polyphemus has nothing on me! I'm better than him, and Poseidon loves me more than that weakling!"

"Then prove it," I said, "Winner takes all! I win, we all go free. You win, we die. Swear upon the River Styx."

Antaues laughed. "This shouldn't take long. I swear to your terms!"

He leaped off the railing, into the arena.

"Good luck," the warrior I spared told me, "You'll need it. Then he backed up quickly to Nico.

Antaeus cracked his knuckles. He grinned, and I saw that his teeth were etched in wave patterns. Okay, I get this guy is the son of Poseidon, but _seriously_ , what's up with the wave patterns?

"Weapons?" He asked.

"I'll stick to my sword and Thermos this time," I responded, "You?"

He held up his huge hands and wiggled his fingers. "I don't need anything else! Master Luke, you will referee this one."

Luke smiled with slight sympathy on his face. "With pleasure

Antaeus lunged. I rolled under his legs and stabbed him in the back of his thigh.

"Argggh!" he yelled. But where blood should've come out, there was a spout of sand, like I busted the side of the hourglass. It spilled into the dirt floor, and the dirt collected around his leg, almost like a cast. When the dirt fell away, the wound was gone.

Oh right, I forgot he was the son of Gaea, and since he was the son of Poseidon, my thermos is useless as well.

Antaeus charged again, and I dodge sideways this time avoiding him.

"Come here and let me crush you. I'll make it quick!" Antaeus yelled.

I tried to skirt around him, but Antaeus anticipated my moves, toying me now. He had me cornered.

I looked up at the chains hanging from the ceiling, dangling the skulls of his enemies on hooks. Suddenly I had an idea.

I tossed my sword at him. It hit Antaeus in the arm, slicing him, but didn't do much good.

Puny boy. Not a worthy son of the sea god!" Antaeus said as he pulled riptide out and tossed it aside so the dirt could heal him.

I didn't respond as I took out my thermos and aimed at the ground before summoning a water blast to send me flying toward the ceiling. I caught the top of the chain—dropping my thermos—and the skulls and hooks jangled beneath me I wrapped my legs around the chain, just like I used to do at the rope course in Gym Class. I drew Riptide—which reappeared in my pocket—and sawed off the chains next to me.

"Come down here, coward!" Antaeus bellowed. He tried to grab me but I was just out of reach. Hanging on for dear life, I yelled, "Come and get me! Or are you too slow and fat?"

He howled and made another grab for me. He caught a chain and tried to puled himself up. While he was struggling, I lowered my sawed-off chain, hook first. It took me two tries, but I finally snagged Antaeus' loincloth.

"WAAA!" he yelled. Quickly I slipped the free chain through the fastening ink on his own chain, pulled it taut, and secured it the best I could. Antaeus tried to slip back to the ground but his but stayed suspended by his loincloth. He had to hold on to the other chains with both hands to avoid getting flipped upside down. I prayed the loincloth and chain would hold up for a few more seconds. While Antaeus cursed and flailed, I scrambled around the chains, swinging and cutting like I was some kind of crazy monkey. I made loops with the hooks and metal links, tangling things up. Within a couple of minutes the giant was suspended above the ground, hopelessly snarled in chains and hooks.

I dropped to the floor panting and sweaty. My hands were raw from climbing—nothing a little water or nectar couldn't heal.

"Get me down!" Antaeus demanded.

"Free him!" Luke ordered. "He is our host!"

I grabbed my thermos—which thank gods were still in good condition—capped it to my belt, and uncapped riptide. "I'll free him."

And I stabbed the giant in the stomach. He bellowed, and sand poured out, but he was too far up to touch the earth and the dirt did not rise to help him. Antaeus just dissolved, pouring out bit by bit until there was nothing left but empty swinging chains, a really big loin cloth on a hook, and a bunch of grinning skulls dancing above me like they finally had something to smile about.

"Jackson!" Luke yelled, "I should have let you leave the hideout all those years ago!"

I'll admit, it hurt me internally to hear Luke said that, but I tried my best to keep my composer.

"Let us go, Luke. We had a sworn agreement with Antaeus. I'm the winner."

He did what I expected. "He said, "Antaeus is dead. His oath dies with him. But since I'm feeling merciful today, I'll have to kill you quickly."

He pointed at Annabeth and Nico. "Spare those two!" His voice quivered just a little. "Master has plans for the son of Hades, and I would speak to girl before—before our great triumph!"

Every monster in the audience drew a weapon or extended its claws. We were trapped. Hopelessly outnumbered.

Then I felt something in my pocket—a freezing sensation, growing colder and colder. _The dog whistle_. My fingers closed around it. For days I'd avoided using Quintus' gift. It had to be a trap. But now… I had no choice. I took it out of my pocket and blew. It made no audible sound as it shattered into shards of ice, melting in my hand.

Luke laughed. "What was that supposed to do?"

From behind me came a surprised yelp. The Laistrygonian giant who'd been guarding Annabeth flew past me and smashed into the wall.

"AROOOOF!"

Kelli the _empousa_ screamed as a five-hundred-pound black mastiff picked her up like a chew toy and tossed her through the air, straight into Luke's lap. Mrs. O'Leary snarled and the two _dracaenae_ guards backed away. For a moment the monsters in the audience were caught completely by surprise.

"Let's go!" I yelled at my friends. "Heel, Mrs. O'Leary!"

"The far exit! Rachel cried. "That's the right way!"

The warrior took his cue and followed Nico. Together we raced across the arena and out the far exit, Mrs. O'Leary right behind us. As we ran, I could hear the disorganized sounds of an entire army trying to jump out of the stands and follow us.


	15. We Borrowed Some Slightly Used Wings

**A/N:** Certain ancient Greek names matches words use of foul language but no foul language was intentionally used. Also if you haven't read them yet read 'The Tales of the Son of Poseidon & the Early Adventures' 'The Tales of the Son of Poseidon & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief' 'The Tales of the Son of Poseidon & the Olympians: The Sea of Monsters' and 'The Tales of the Son of Poseidon & the Olympians: The Titan's Curse' before reading this story. Lastly, any one who wants to do a Demigods and Olympian reads story using 'The Tales of the Son of Poseidon' is allowed _as long as_ you inform me about it.

Also some of you might find what Luke said in the last chapter harsh, but there's more to it that will be explained in the next chapter

* * *

 **We Borrowed Some Slightly Used Wings**

"This way!" Rachel yelled.

"Why should we follow you?" Annabeth demanded. "You led us straight into that death trap!"

"It was the way you need to go," Rachel said. "And so is this. Come on!"

Annabeth didn't look happy about it, but she ran along with the rest of us. Rachel seemed to know exactly where she was going. She whipped around corners and didn't even hesitate at crossroads. Once she said, "Duck!" and we all crouched as a huge axe swung over our heads. Then we kept going as if nothing had happened.

I lost track of how many turns we made. We didn't stop to rest until we came to a room the size of a gymnasium with old marble columns holding up the roof. I stood at the doorway, listening for sounds of pursuit, but I heard nothing. Apparently, we'd lost Luke and his minions in the maze.

Then I realized something else: Mrs. O'Leary was gone. I didn't know when she'd disappeared. I didn't know if she'd gotten lost or been overrun by monsters or what. My heart turned to lead. She'd saved our lives, and I hadn't even waited to make sure she was following us.

The young warrior collapsed on the floor. "You people are crazy." He pulled off his helmet. His face gleamed with sweat, but I finally realized where I'd seen him before.

"You're Ethan Nakamura!" I responded, "You were one of the undetermined kids from Hermes cabin years ago—before Luke even left the camp!"

He glared at me. "Yeah, that's right and I remember you—and you Annabeth."

"What—what happened to your eye?" Annabeth asked.

Ethan looked away, and I got the feeling that was one subject he would not discuss."

"Why were you trying to join the wrong side?" I asked.

Ethan sneered. "There's no right side. The gods never cared about us. Why shouldn't I—"

"Sign up with an army that makes you fight to the death for entertainment?" Annabeth said, "Gee, I wonder."

Ethan struggled to his feet. "I'm not going to argue with you. Thanks for the help, but I'm out of here."

I grabbed his arm. "You're just going to head off alone in the maze? That's suicide."

He looked at me with barely controlled anger. His eye patch was frayed around the edges and the black cloth was faded, like he'd been wearing it a long, long time. "You shouldn't have spared me, Jackson. Mercy has no place in this war."

He then turned to Nico. "If you know what's good for you kid, you should join the Titan's Lord's side. Your father maybe one of the big three, but he's treated worse than my mother."

Before we could question him, Ethan ran off back the way we'd come.

Annabeth, Rachel, Nico and I were so exhausted we made camp right there in the huge room. I found some scrap wood and started a fire. Shadows danced off the columns rising around us like trees.

"Something was wrong with Luke," Annabeth muttered, poking at the fire with her knife. "Did you notice the way he was acting?"

"You mean before he said he should of let me leave the hideout all those years ago?" I asked.

"He didn't mean it Percy," Annabeth said. "He was just not himself."

"Yeah, I guess," I responded. It still tears me up remembering Luke's words.

Thankfully Nico decided to change topics. "You said that guy, Ethan, been missing for years right?"

"Yeah, why?" I asked.

"Well, if he been in the Labyrinth this long, maybe he has the same gift as Rachel," Nico said, "The gift to see through the Mist I mean."

"He didn't seem that way back in camp," I said, "Then again, everything about that guy seem different since camp, and not just the eyepatch."

"Maybe his mother blessed him with the gift," Annabeth said, "You heard him right? He mentioned his mother when he advised Nico to join The Titan Lord."

"But that would mean he was claimed," I responded, "But if he was claimed in camp, wouldn't we know about it?"

"Maybe he was claimed after he left camp," Annabeth said, "It does happen."

That's true. Poseidon claimed me when I was lost in the middle of the woods before I even knew I was a demigod, and I saw Bianca get claimed by Hades during our quest last winter.

Annabeth sheathed her dagger and looked at Rachel. "So which way now, Sacagawea?"

Rachel didn't respond right away. She'd become quieter since the arena. Now, whenever Annabeth made a sarcastic comment, Rachel hardly bothered to answer. Now that I think about it, she didn't even bombarded us with questions about what we were talking about when we were talking about Ethan being claimed.

Rachel burned the tip of a stick in the fire and was using it to draw ash figures on the floor, images of monsters we'd seen. With a few strokes she caught the likeness of a _dracaena_ perfectly.

"We'll follow the path," she said. "The brightness on the floor."

"The brightness that led us straight into a trap?" Annabeth asked.

"As much as I hate to say this Annabeth, but I think Rachel was right about us needing to go through Antaeus' arena," I said. "I mean—you heard Luke"—it pained me just saying his name now—"He said they needed passage through the arena. If they haven't got their hands on Ariadne's string yet, then they must have need it to get to Daedalus."

Annabeth shot me a look before standing up. "The fire's getting ow. I'll go look for some more scraps while _you_ guys talk strategy." And she marched off into the shadows.

Rachel drew another figure with her stick—an ashy Antaeus dangling from his chains. I reached in my backpack and took out the cookies my mom gave us.

"Annabeth usually not like this," I told Rachel as I handed her and Nico.

"Really? I would have never guess," Nico said sarcastically taking a cookie.

"Ha-ha," I responded, "I'm surprise you haven't ask Rachel for the directions to the Underworld yet."

Nico shrugged, "Maybe I want to see what's so great about Daedalus."

"You mean other than being the architect of the Labyrinth?" I asked.

Nico didn't respond and Rachel just rolled her eyes. "Boys. Totally blind."

"What?" I asked.

"Nothing," Rachel responded as she pointed toward the other end of the room, into the darkness. "The workshop is that way. The heart of the maze. We're very close now. You're probably right about why the path led to the arena."

"Yeah, but how did Luke know?" Nico asked.

"Antaeus probably told him—or maybe Quintus," I responded depressingly.

"Okay. What's the deal between you and Luke? And I mean the real deal," Rachel responded, "You act like he just disowned you as a sibling or something?"

"That's because Luke is like a brother to me," I responded, "Or was."

Things went quiet for a bit.

"Sorry," Rachel said, "I didn't know."

I breathed letting my anger cool down. "It's okay. Part of the mess with Luke is my fault anyways. The oracle was right, my past decision would weight down on my shoulders. I just never thought it would of led to this."

Rachel looked as if she wanted to question that, but decided not to.

Nico unstrapped the wristwatch, that he forgotten he had and gave it too me. "At least you still have one brother who still cares about you, right? That Cyclops that was with you?"

I smiled and took the wristwatch, "Right. Tyson and Thalia," I responded, _"Not to mention Thalia's brother Jason, wherever that guy is at."_

It wasn't long later Rachel and Nico curled up to get some sleep. Rachel used her backpack as a pillow and Nico used his own jacket.

A few minutes later, Annabeth came back. She tossed some more sticks on the fire. She looked at Rachel, then at me.

"I'll take first watch," she said. "You should sleep, too."

"You don't have to act like that."

"Like what?"

"Like… never mind." I lay down, still feeling miserable. I was so tired I fell asleep as soon as my eyes closed.

…

In my dreams I heard laughter. Cold, harsh laughter, like knives being sharpened.

I was standing at the edge of a pit in the depths of Tartarus. Below me the darkness seethed like inky soup.

"So close to your own destruction, little hero," the voice of Kronos chided. "Even after being disowned by the one you called brother, you are still blind."

The voice was different than it had been before. It seemed almost physical now, as if it were speaking from a real body instead of… whatever he'd been in his chopped up condition.

"I have much to thank you for," Kronos said. "You have assured my rise."

The shadows in the cavern became deeper and heavier. I tried to back away from the edge of the pit, but it was like swimming through oil. Time slowed down. My breathing stopped.

"A favor," Kronos said. "The Titan lord always pays his debts. Perhaps a glimpse of the friends you abandoned…"

The darkness rippled around me, and I was in a different cave.

"Hurry!" Tyson said. He came barreling into the room. Grover stumbled along behind him. There was a rumbling in the corridor they'd come from, and the head of an enormous snake burst into the cave. I mean, this thing was so big its body barely fit through the tunnel. Its scales were coppery. Its head was diamond shape, like a rattler, and its yellow eyes glowed with hatred. When it opened its mouth, its fangs were as tall as Tyson.

It lashed at Grover, but Grover scampered out of the way. The snake got a mouthful dirt. Tyson picked up a boulder and threw it at the monster, smacking it between the eyes, but the snake just recoiled and hissed.

"It's going to eat you!" Grover yelled at Tyson.

"How do you know?"

"It just told me! Run!"

Tyson darted to one side, but the snake used its head like a club and knocked him and knocked him off his feet.

"No! Grover yelled. But before Tyson could regain his balance, the snake wrapped around him and started to squeeze.

Tyson strained, pushing with all his immense strength, but the snake squeezed tighter. Grover frantically hit the snake with his reed pipes, but he might as well been banging on a stone wall.

The whole room shook as the snake flexed its muscles, shuddering to overcome Tyson's strength.

Grover began to play with pipes and stalactites rained down from the ceiling. The whole cave seemed about to collapsed…

"Tyson!" I yelled as I shot up now awake only to find Annabeth was next to me.

"Percy, what's wrong?" Annabeth asked.

"Tyson—Tyson's in trouble!" I said. "We have to help him!"

"We will, but first we need to get out of here," Annabeth said, "There's an earthquake going on."

Sure enough, the room was rumbling. "Rachel! Nico!" I yelled.

"Already awake," Nico said as he was with Rachel ready to go.

I quickly grabbed my stuff and we ran. We were almost to the far tunnel with the column next to us groaned and buckled. We kept going as a hundred tons of marble crashed down behind us.

We made it to the corridor and turned just in time to see the other columns toppling. A cloud of white dust billowed over us and we kept running.

"You know what?" Annabeth said. "I like this way after all."

It wasn't long before we saw light up ahead—like regular electric lighting.

"There," Rachel said.

We followed her into stainless steel hallway, like I imagine they'd have on a space station or something. Fluorescent lights glowed from the ceiling. The floor was a metal grate.

I was so used to being in the darkness that I had to squint. Annabeth and Rachel both looked pale into the harsh illumination, and Nico looked even paler if that was even possible, which now that I think about it, I would guess was possible for a child of Hades.

"This way," Rachel said, beginning to run. "We're close!"

"This is so wrong!" Annabeth said. "The workshop should be in the oldest section of the maze."

Sure enough we'd arrived at a set of metal double doors. Inscribed in the steel, at eye level, was a large blue Greek L.

"We're here," Rachel announced. "Daedalus' workshop."

…

Annabeth pressed the symbol on the doors and they hissed open.

"Maybe if Daedalus is alive, he been remodeling," I responded.

"Obviously," Nico said.

That seemed to ease Annabeth's scowling face and together we walked inside.

The first thing that struck me was the daylight—blazing sun coming through giant windows. Not the kind of thing you expect in the heart of a dungeon. The workshop was like an artist's studio, with thirty-foot ceilings and industrial lighting, polished stone floors, and workbenches along with the windows. A spiral staircase led up to a second-story loft. Half a dozen easels displayed hand-drawn diagram for buildings and machines that looked like Leonardo da Vinci sketches. Several laptop computers were scattered around on the tables. Glass jars of green oil—Greek fire—lined one shelf. There were inventions, too—weird metal machines I couldn't make sense of. One was a bronze chair with a bunch of electrical wires attach to it, like some kind of torture device. In another corner stood a giant metal egg about the size of a man. There was a grandfather clock that appeared to be made entirely of glass, so you could see all the gears turning. And hanging on the wall were several sets of bronze and silver wings like in my dreams only a lot more advance with the feathers more tightly interwoven and instead of wax seals, self-adhesive strips ran down the sides.

 _"Di immortales_ ," Annabeth muttered. She ran to the nearest easel and looked at the sketch. "He's a genius. Look at the curves on this building!"

"And the artist," Rachel said in amazement. "These wings are amazing."

Of course they seem to have forgotten about Nico and me during their amazement.

I kept my hand on Riptide. Apparently Daedalus was not home, but the workshop looked like it had been recently used. The laptops were running their screen savers. A half-eaten blueberry muffin and a coffee cup sat on the workbench.

I walked to the window. The view outside was amazing. I recognized the Rocky Mountains in the distance. We were high up in the foothills, at least five hundred feet, and down below a valley spread out, filed with a tumbled collection of red mesas and boulders and spires of stone. It looked like some huge kid had been building a toy city with skyscraper-sized blocks, and then decided to knock it over.

"Where are we?" I wondered.

"Colorado Springs," a voice said behind us. "The Garden of the Gods."

Standing on the spiral staircase above us, with his weapon drawn, was our missing co-sword master Quintus.

"You," Annabeth said. "What have you done with Daedalus?"

Quintus smiled faintly. "Trust me, my dear. You don't want to meet him."

"Look, Mr. Traitor," she growled, "I didn't fight a dragon woman and a three-bodied man and a psychotic Sphinx to see _you_. Now where is DAEDALUS?"

Quintus came down the stairs, holding his sword at his side. He was dressed in jeans and boots and his counselor's T-shirt from Camp Half-Blood, which seemed like an insult now that we knew he was a spy. I didn't know if I could beat him in a sword fight. He was pretty good, not to mention a son of Athena, so most likely could outwit me if he wants too.

"You think I'm an agent of Kronos," he said. "That I work for Luke."

"Well, duh," said Annabeth.

"You're an intelligent girl," he said. "But you're wrong. I work only for myself."

"Luke mentioned you," I said. "Geryon knew about you, too. You've been to his ranch."

"Of course," he said. "I've been almost everywhere. Even here."

He walked past me like I was no threat at all, but avoided Nico's eyes contact who had his sword out as if he was a greater threat than me, and stood by the window. "The view changes from day to day," he mused. "It's always some place high up. Yesterday it was from a skyscraper overlooking Manhattan. The day before that, there was a beautiful view of Lake Michigan. But it keeps coming back to the Garden of the Gods. I think the Labyrinth likes it here. A fitting name, I suppose."

"You've been here before," I said.

"Oh, yes."

"That's an illusion out there?" I asked. "A projection or something?"

"No," Rachel murmured. "It's real. We're really in Colorado."

Quintus regarded her. "You have clear vision, don't you/ You remind me of a couple mortal girls I once knew. One came here hoping to find a way to free the slaves, but the other—another princess who came to grief."

My eyes widened before glaring at him before rising my sword. "You're Daedalus."

Annabeth looked at me like I was crazy. "Percy, what—"

"Athena disowning you—that was for killing your nephew," I responded, "And the princess you mention—you're talking Ariadne before Mr. D found her."

Quintus smile grew a little, "You truly are smarter than you look, Percy Jackson."

"But how?" Annabeth asked, "You can't cheat death."

"But he has," Nico said. "That's why Minos tried to use me. Daedalus have been dodging death and Minos' punishment for thousands of years."

"Still, how can he do that?" Rachel asked.

"His nephew's design plans," I responded, "You're an automaton. You made yourself a new body."

"Percy," Annabeth said uneasily, "that's not possible. That—that can't be an automaton."

Quintus chuckled. "Do you know what Quintus means, my dear?"

"The fifth, in Latin. But—"

"This is my fifth body." The swordsman held out his forearm. He pressed his elbow and part of his wrist popped open—rectangular hatch in his skin. Underneath, bronze gears whirred. Wires glowed.

"That's amazing!" Rachel said.

"It's wrong," Nico said.

"You found a way to transfer your _animus_ into the machine?" Annabeth said. "That's… not natural."

"Oh, I assure you, my dear, it's still me. I'm still very much Daedalus. Our mother, Athena, makes sure I never forget that." He tugged the back the collar of his shirt. At the base of the neck was the mark I'd seen before—the dark shape bird grafted to his skin.

"A murderer's brand," Annabeth said.

"For making my nephew Perdix lose his balance and letting him fall and die," Quintus said, "I regretted what I did. I was angry and bitter. But I cannot take it back, and Athena never lets me forget. As Perdix died, she turned him into a bird—a partridge. She branded the bird's shape on my neck as a reminder. No matter what body I take, the brand appears on my skin."

"But also learned from your mistakes. That's why you saved me," I responded.

Everyone looked at me confuse as I continued, "A hundred tons hellhound pouncing on a seven year old child—even if she was being playful, if she wasn't careful Mrs. O'Leary could have seriously injured if not kill me no matter if I was a demigod or not. You knew that, and you called Mr. O'Leary off me, even asked me if I was okay."

"Maybe so, Percy. But that doesn't replace what I did to my nephew," Quintus said.

"What I don't get is why you come to camp? Why spy on us?" I asked.

"To see if your camp was worth saving. Luke had given me one story. I prefer to come to my conclusions."

"So you _have_ talked to Luke," Annabeth said

"Oh, yes. Several times. He is quite persuasive."

"But now you've seen the camp!" Annabeth persisted. "You know we need your help. You can't let Luke through the maze!"

Daedalus set his sword on the workbench. "The maze is no longer in mine to control, Annabeth. I created it, yes. In fact, it is tied to my life force. But I have allowed it to live and grow on its own. That is the price I paid for privacy."

"Privacy from death you mean," Nico said.

"Yes, but most importantly Minos," Daedalus said, "You worked with the man, boy. You of all people should know how much influence he can have. And after working with your father for over two thousand years, he learned how to turn a child of Hades' fatal flaw to his favor."

"Because he has the same fatal flaw: He could hold a grudge and cause of it he couldn't let it go," I responded. "That's the reason Minos never gave up hunting you down, and eventually led to his own downfall."

Daedalus nodded. "Too avoid it, I did the only thing I could. I retreated from the world completely. I descended into my Labyrinth. I decided this would be my ultimate accomplishment: I would cheat death. Minos still haunts me, but he won't be able to punish me. Of course, I left the Labyrinth once in a while, even used long life to learn everything about the changes in the world in order to blend in. Sometimes it made me even felt normal. I'm sure you understand, Percy. From what I been told, you became quite an athlete since you started staying with your mother during the school years."

Just then a loud bark echoed the corridor. I heard the _ba-BUMP, ba-BUMP, ba-BUMP_ of huge paws and Mrs. O'Leary bounded into the workshop. She licked my face once, then almost knocked Daedalus over with an enthusiastic leap.

"There is my old friend!" Daedalus said, scratching Mrs. O'Leary behind the ears. "My only companion all these long lonely years."

"You let her save me," I said. "That whistle actually worked.

Daedalus nodded. "Of course it did, Percy. You have a good heart. And I knew Mrs. O'Leary liked you, and after you told me you were that boy who ran away seven years old, I felt that I should help you at least since your quest would be in vain."

"What?" Annabeth said. "But you can still help us. You have to! Give us Ariadne's string so Luke can't get it."

"Yes… the string. I told Luke that the eyes of a clear-sighted mortal are the best guide, but he did not trust me. He was so focus on the idea of a magic item. And the string works. It's not as accurate as your mortal friend here, perhaps. But good enough. Good enough."

"Where is it?" Annabeth said.

"With Luke," Daedalus said sadly. "I'm sorry, my dear. But you are several hours too late."

With a chill I realized why Luke had been in such a good mood in the arena. He'd already gotten the string from Daedalus. Which mean they didn't need to go through the arena to find the workshop, but to make it to camp.

"Kronos promised me freedom," Quintus said. "Once Hades is overthrown, he will set me over the Underworld. I will reclaim my son Icarus. I will make things right with poor young Perdix. I will see Minos' soul cast into Tartarus, where it cannot bother me again. And I will no longer have to run from death."

"That's your brilliant idea?" Annabeth yelled. "You're going to let Luke destroy our camp, kill hundreds of demigods, and then attack Olympus? You're going to bring down the entire world so you can get what you want?"

"Your caused is doomed, my dear. I saw that as soon as I began to work at your camp. There is no way you can hold back the might of Kronos."

"That's not true!" she cried.

"I am doing what I must, my dear. The offer was too sweet to refuse. I'm sorry."

Annabeth pushed over an ease. Architectural drawings scattered across the floor. "I used to respect you. You were my hero! You—you built amazing things. You solved problems. Now… I don't know what you are. Children of Athena are supposed to be _wise_ , not just clever. Maybe you _are_ just a machine. You should have died two thousand years ago."

Instead of getting mad, Daedalus hung his head. "You should go warn your camp. Now that Luke has the string—"

Suddenly Mrs. O'Leary pricked up her ears.

"Someone's coming," Rachel warned.

"Not just that," Nico said, "Something not-living is with them."

The doors of the workshop burst open and Kelli and two Laistrygonians marched in followed by the ghost of Minos. He looked almost solid now—a pale bearded king with cold eyes and tendrils of Mist coiling off his robes.

He fixed his gaze on Daedalus. "There you are, my old friend."

Daedalus' jaw clenched. He looked at Kelli. "What is the meaning of this?"

"Luke sends his compliments," Kelli said. "He thought you might like to see your old employer Minos."

"This was not part of our agreement," Daedalus said.

"No indeed," Kelli said. "But we already have what we want from you, and we have other agreements to honor. Minos required something else from us, and in return to help us catch him." She pointed at Nico. "He'll be quite useful. And all Minos asked in return was your head old man."

Daedalus paled. "Treachery."

"Get used to it."

"Minos, how are you solid?" Nico demanded, "I didn't perform the ritual to summon you!"

Minos chuckled. "You think you're the only one who could help me? Please! I got more resources to help me other than you."

I glared at Kelli. "Where's Luke? Why isn't he here?"

The she-demon smiled like we were sharing a private joke. "Luke is… busy. He is preparing for the assaut. But don't worry. We have more friends on the way. And in the meantime, I think I'll have a wonderful snack!" Her hands changed to claws. Her hair burst into flame and her legs turned to their true form—one donkey leg, one bronze.

"Get the wings," I told Rachel. "I'll try to buy you some time."

And with that, all Hades broke loose. Annabeth and I charged at Kelli. The giants came right at Daedalus, but Mrs. O'Leary leaped to his defense. Minos wailed. "Kill the inventor! Kill him!"

Rachel grabbed the wings off the wall. Nobody paid her any attention. Kelli slashed at Annabeth. I tried to get to her, but the demon was quick and deadly. She turned over tables, smashed inventions, and wouldn't let us get close. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Mrs. O'Leary chomped her fangs into a giant's arm. He wailed in pain and flung her around, trying to shake her. Daedaus grabbed for his sword, but the second giant smashed the workbench with his fist, and the sword went flying. A clay jar of Greek fire broke on the floor and began to burn, green flames spreading quickly.

"To me!" Minos cried. "Spirits of the dead!" he raised his ghostly hands and the air began to hum and spirits began to appear around Minos—shimmering forms that slowly multiplied, solidifying into Cretan Soldiers."

"Be gone!" Nico ordered the dead.

Minos laughed. "You have no power over me. I am the lord of spirits! The ghost king!"

"No," Nico drew his sword. " _I_ am."

He stabbed his black blade into the floor and it cleaved through the stone like butter.

"Never!" Minos' form rippled. "I will not—"

The ground rumbled. The windows cracked and shattered to pieces, letting in a blast of fresh air. A fissure opened in the stone floor of the workshop and Minos and all his spirits were sucked into the void with a horrible wail.

The bad news; the fight was still going on all around us and I let myself get distracted. Kelli pounced on me so fast I had no time to defend myself. My sword skittered away and I hit my head hard on a worktable as I fell. My eyesight went fuzzy. I couldn't raise my arms.

Kelli laughed. "You will taste wonderful!"

She bared her fangs. Then suddenly her body went rigid. Her eed eyes widened. She Gasped, "No… school… spirit…"

And Annabeth took her knife out of the _empousa_ 's back. With an awful screech, Kelli dissolved into yellow vapor.

Annabeth helped me up. I still felt dizzy, but we had no time to lose. Mrs. O'Leary and Daedalus were still locked in combat with the giants, and I could hear shouting in the tunne. More monsters were coming toward the workshop.

"We have to help Daedalus!" I said.

"No time," Rachel said. "Too many coming!"

She'd already fitted herself with wings and was working on Nico, who looked pale and sweaty from sending Mino and his army back to the Underworld. The wings grafted instantly to his back and arms.

"Now you!" she told me.

In seconds, Nico Annabeth Rachel and I had fitted ourselves with coppery wings. Already I could feel myself being lifted by the wind coming through the window. Greek fire was burning tables and furniture, spreading up the circular stairs.

"Daedalus!" I yelled. "Come on!"

He was cut in a hundred places—but he was bleeding golden oil instead of blood. He'd found his sword and was using part of the smashed table as a shield against the giants. "I won't leave Mrs. O'Leary!" he said. "Go!"

There was no time to argue. Even if we stayed, I wasn't sure we could help. I couldn't help but remember Hal's sacrifice years ago, but at the same time, this felt different.

"None of us now how to fly!" Nico protested.

"I think I got an idea," I responded, "Follow me!"

I prayed to Zeus for forgiveness for what Nico and I were about to do as the four of us jumped out the window into open sky.


	16. The Real Reason Hal Looked Scared

**A/N:** Certain ancient Greek names matches words use of foul language but no foul language was intentionally used. Also if you haven't read them yet read 'The Tales of the Son of Poseidon & the Early Adventures' 'The Tales of the Son of Poseidon & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief' 'The Tales of the Son of Poseidon & the Olympians: The Sea of Monsters' and 'The Tales of the Son of Poseidon & the Olympians: The Titan's Curse' before reading this story. Lastly, any one who wants to do a Demigods and Olympian reads story using 'The Tales of the Son of Poseidon' is allowed _as long as_ you inform me about it.

* * *

 **The Real Reason Hal Looked Scared**

I tell you, if it wasn't for my persistence to keep track with my dream vision and Annabeth's knowledge about the wings from studying up on Daedalus so much, we would have been killed while in the air even if I wasn't the son of Poseidon. Especially since we jumped five hundred feet above the ground.

I plummeted towed the valley and the red rocks below, before yelling, "Spread your arms!"

"And keep them extended!" Annabeth reminded me in an order.

I spread my arms out and the wings stiffened, caught the wind, and my descent slowed. I soared downward, but at a controlled angle, like a kite in a dive.

Experimentally, I flapped my arms once. I arced into the sky, the wind whistled in my ears. It was incredible, but I knew if I was planning to stay alive, I better land soon.

"We better land," I said.

None of my friends argued as we swooped down toward the Garden of the Gods. I did a quick Mist Manipulation when I saw some climbers to make us look like hang gliders as we landed on the terrace of the visitor center. It was late afternoon and the place looked pretty empty, but we ripped off our wings as quickly as we could. Looking at the, I could see we made the right move. The self-adhesive seas that bound the wings to our backs were already melting, and we were shedding bronze feathers.

Deciding to not leave them where mortals can find them and the fact none of us could fix them we stuff them into the bin, although, to be honest I did kept a bronze feather as a memoir of the man that turned out to have been looking after me not once but twice in my life.

I used the tourist binocular camera to look up at the hill where I thought Daedalus' workshop had been, but it had vanished. There was no smoke, no broken windows, just the hillside.

"The workshop moved," Annabeth guessed. "There's no telling where."

"So what do we do now?" I asked. "How do we get back into the maze?"

Annabeth gazed at the summit of Pikes Peek in the distance. "Maybe we can't. If Daedalus died… he said his life force was tied to the Labyrinth. The whole thing might've been destroyed. Maybe that will stop Luke's invasion."

I thought about Grover and Tyson, still down there somewhere. And Daedalus… even though he'd done some terrible things and put everybody I cared about at risk, fighting of monsters while his workshop was engulfed in Greek Fire was a horrible way to die. I should know, since it was similar to how Hal died.

"No," Nico said, "He isn't dead. I _know_ when mortals or half-bloods die. It's this feeling I get, like a buzzing in in my ears."

"That's how you knew I wasn't dead?" I asked.

Nico nodded.

"We have to get into town," Annabeth decided. "Our chances will be better of finding an entrance to the Labyrinth. We have to make it back to camp before Luke and his army."

"We could just take a plane," Rachel said.

I shuddered. "Not a good idea. my dads aren't exactly in good terms with Zeus, and the only reason Zeus hasn't killed Nico yet is because he hasn't joined Kronos' army."

"Why would Zeus want to kill Nico?" Rachel asked "His powers are scary, but it's not like he'll use it for evil right?"

"It doesn't matter right now. The point is, Nico and I already pushed our lucks using Dadaelus' wings to fly out of his workshop, and I don't think Zeus will let us fly a second time without his permission," I responded.

"So we need a car to take us into the city," Annabeth said.

Rachel looked down into the parking lot. She grimaced, as if she were about to do something she regretted. "I'll take care of it."

"How?" Annabeth asked.

"Just trust me."

Annabeth looked uneasy, but she nodded. "Okay, I'm going to buy a prism in the gift shop, try to make a rainbow, and send an Iris-message to camp."

"I'll go with you," Nico said. "I'm hungry."

I want to argue we still have my mom's cookies, but then I remember we ate the last of it last night—or I should say right before the last time we sleep since the time in the Labyrinth is different from real life.

"I'll stick with Rachel, then," I said. "Meet you guys in the parking lot."

Rachel frowned like she didn't want me with her. That made me feel bad, but I followed her down to the parking lot anyway.

She headed toward a big black car parked at the edge of the lot. It was a chauffeured Lexus, like the kind I always saw driving around Manhattan. The kind that I normally won't be able to pay without using my family's Lotus Casino Card. The driver was out front, reading a newspaper. He wore a dark suit and tie.

"What are you going to do?" I asked Rachel.

"Just wait here," she said miserably. "Please."

Rachel marched straight up to the driver and talked to him. He frowned. Rachel said something else. He turned pale and hastily folded up his magazine. He nodded and fumbled for his cell phone. After a brief call, he opened the back door of the car for Rachel to get in. She pointed back in my direction, and the driver bobbed his head some more, like _Yes, ma'am. Whatever you want._

I couldn't figure out why we was acting flustered.

Rachel came back to get me just as Nico and Annabeth appeared from the gift shop.

"I talked to Chiron," Annabeth said, "They're doing their best to prepare for battle, but he still wants us back. Thalia is also pulling some strings with some allies of the Hunters close by to help out too."

"Somehow that doesn't surprise me," I responded. Which was true. Throughout ancient Greek history there were groups containing only women, and many of them worshipped Artemis. Not to mention the Hunters are mostly known to keep things among themselves, and especially from males.

"Yeah, but they're still going to need every hero they can get. Did we find a ride?"

"The driver's ready when we are," Rachel said.

The chauffer was now talking to another guy in Khakis and a polo shirt, probably his client who'd rented the car. The client was complaining, but I could hear the driver saying, "I'm sorry, sir. Emergency. I've ordered another car for you."

"Come on," Rachel said. She led us to the car and got in without looking at the flustered guy who'd rented it. A minute later we were cruising down the road. The seats were leather. There was plenty of legroom. The backseat had flat-panel TVs built into the headrests and a mini-fridge stocked with bottled water, sodas, and snacks. We started pigging out.

"Where to, Miss Dare?" the driver asked.

"I'm not sure yet, Robert," she said. "We just need to drive through town and, uh, look around."

"Whatever you say, miss."

I looked at Rachel. "Do you know this guy?"

"No."

"But he dropped everything to help you. Why?"

"Just keep your eyes peeled," she said. "Help me look."

Which didn't exactly answer my question.

We drove through Colorado Springs for about half an hour and saw nothing that Rachel considered a possible Labyrinth entrance. I was very aware of Rachel's shoulder pressing against mine. I kept wondering who she was exactly, and how she could walk up to some random chauffeur and immediately get a ride.

After about an hour we decided to head north toward Denver, thinking that maybe a bigger city would be more likely to have a Labyrinth entrance, but we were all getting nervous. We were losing time.

Then, right as we were leaving Colorado Springs, Rachel sat bolt upright. "Get off the highway!"

The driver glanced back. "Miss?"

"I saw something, I think. Get off here."

The driver swerved across traffic and took the exit.

"What did you see?" I asked, because we were pretty much out of the city now. There wasn't anything around except hills, grassland, and some scattered farm buildings. Rachel had the driver turn down this unpromising dirt road. We drove by a sign too fast for me to read it, but Rachel said, "Western Museum of Mining & Industry."

For a museum, it didn't look like much—a little house like an old fashioned railroad station, some drills and pumps and old steam shovels on display outside.

"There." Rachel pointed to a hole in the side of the nearby hill—a tunnel that was boarded up and chained. "An old mine entrance."

"A door to the Labyrinth?" Annabeth asked.

"Well, a cattle guard was an entrance, so I guess the Labyrinth isn't picky about where its entrances are at," I responded.

"Yeah, but how can we be sure _this_ is an entrance?"

"Well, look at it!" Rachel said. "I mean… _I_ can see it, okay?"

She thanked the driver and we all got out. He didn't ask for money or anything. "Are you sure you'll be all right, Miss Dare? I'd be happy to call your  
—"

"No!" Rachel said. "No, really. Thanks, Robert. But we're fine."

The museum seemed to be closed, so nobody bothered us as we climbed the hill to the mine shaft. We got to the entrance, I saw the mark of Daedalus engraved on the padlock, though how Rachel had seen something so tiny all the way from the highway I had no idea. I touched the padlock and the chains fell away. We kicked down a few boards and walked inside. For better or worse, we were back in the Labyrinth.

The dirt tunnels turned to stone. They wound around and split off and basically tried to confuse us, but Rachel had no trouble guiding us. We told her we need to get back to New York, and she hardly even paused when the tunnels offered a choice.

To my surprise, Rachel and Annabeth started up a conversation as we walked. Annabeth asked her more about her background, but Rachel was evasive, so they started talking about architecture. It turned out that Rachel knew something about it from studying art. They talked about different facades on the building around New York.

"That was pretty impressive how you got rid of Minos back there," I told him.

"You're just saying that," Nico said.

"No really! Sure it was scary, but the fact you did it to protect the rest of us shows you're starting to really shape up as a true hero," I responded. "And if you keep that up, I'm sure in no time you'll make a difference for all children of Hades through out history."

"Maybe—but to be honest, I want to end Daedalus' life back there," Nico said, "The way he escaped death—it's just not right."

It sounded harsh but then I remember what Hal said about defying fate.

"When you cheat death, you cheat fate," I mumbled.

"What?" Nico asked.

"Sorry… just remembering what an old friend told me," I responded.

Before Nico could question me about it, I ran into Rachel who'd stopped right in front of me. We'd come to a crossroads. The tunnels continued straight ahead, but a side tunnel T'd off to the right—a circular shaft carved from black volcanic rock.

Rachel stared down the dark tunnel. In the dim flashlight beam, her face looked like one of Nico's Spector.

I was about to ask about it when I heard wind coming down the tunnel, as if the exit were close. And I smelled something vaguely familiar—something that brought back bad memories.

"Eucalyptus trees," I said, "Like in California."

Last winter, when we faced Luke and the Titan Atlas on the top of Mount Tamalpais, the air had smelled just like that.

"There's something evil down that tunnel," Rachel said. "Something very powerful."

"And the smell of death," Nico added, which made me feel a whole lot better.

Annabeth and I exchange glances.

"Luke's entrance," she guessed. "The one to Mount Othrys—the Titans' palace."

"I have to check it out," I said.

"Percy, no."

"I have to find out what's going on," I said, "It could be our last chance to postpone the war before it starts."

Annabeth hesitated. "Then we'll all go."

"No," I said. "It's too dangerous. If they got hold of Nico, or Rachel for that matter, Kronos could use them. You stay here and guard them. Plus if I got the chance, I might be able to tell Luke the truth."

Of course I was talking about what happened to Luke's mother. I didn't want to say it, but I almost given up telling Luke about it after the arena. But while talking to Nico, I remember something else Hal told me, _Don't give up on your friends._

"Percy, don't," Rachel said. "Don't go up there alone."

"I'll be quick and I won't do anything stupid," I said.

Annabeth took her Yankees cap out of her pocket. "At least take this. And be careful."

"Thanks," I responded. It didn't seem much after the kiss she gave me for good luck at Mount St. Hellens, but I also remember during our first quest for the master bolt when she gave me her necklace before I fought Ares and the saying we always shared. "Poseidon and Athena together, right?"

"Right," Annabeth responded.

I put it on. "Here goes nothing." And I sneaked invisibly down the dark stone tunnel.

Before I even got to the exit I heard voices: the growling, barking sounds of the sea-demon smiths, the telekhines.

"At least we salvaged the blade," one said. "The master will still reward us."

"Yes! Yes!" A second shrieked. "Reward beyond measure!"

Another voice, this one more human, said: "Um, yeah, well that's great. Now, if you're done with me-"

"No, half-blood!" A telekhine said. "You must help us make the presentation. It is a great honor!"

"Gee, thanks," the half-blood said, and I realized it was Ethan Nakamura, the guy who'd run away after I'd saved his sorry life in the arena.

I crept toward the end of the tunnel. I had to remind myself I was invisible. They shouldn't be able to see me.

A blast of cold air hit me as I emerged. I was standing near the top of Mount Tam. The Pacific Ocean spread out below gray under a cloudy sky. About twenty feet downhill, two telekhines were placing something on a big rock—something long and thin wrapped in black cloth. Ethan was helping them open it.

"Careful, foo," the telekhines scolded. "One touch, and the blade will sever your soul from your body."

Ethan swallowed nervously. "Maybe I'll let you unwrap it, then."

I glanced up at the mountain peak. Where a black marble fortress loomed, just like I'd seen in my dreams. It reminded me of an oversized mausoleum, with walls fifty feet high. The Mist around it is strong as everything bellow the summit seemed fuzzy to me. There was magic going on here—really powerful Mist. Above me, the sky swirled into a huge funnel cloud. I couldn't see Atlas, but I could hear him groaning in the distance, still laboring under the weight of the sky, just beyond the fortress.

"There!" the telekhines said. Reverently, he lifted the weapon and my blood turned into ice.

It was a scythe—a six-foot-long blade curved like a crescent moon, with a wooden handle wrapped in leather. The blade glinted two different colors—steel and bronze. It was the weapon of Kronos, the one he'd used to slice up his father, Ouranos, before the gods had taken it away from him and cut _Kronos_ to pieces, casting him into Tartarus. Now the weapon was re-forged.

"We must sanctify it in blood," the telekhines said. "Then you, half-blood, shall help present it when the lord awakes."

I ran toward the fortress, my pulse pounding in my ears. I didn't want to get anywhere close to that horrible mausoleum, but I knew what I had to do. I had to stop Kronos from rising. This might be my only chance.

I dashed through a dark foyer and into the main hall. The floor shined like a mahogany piano—pure black and yet full of light. Black marble statues lined the walls—images of Titans who'd ruled before the gods. At the end of the room, between two bronze braziers, was a dais. And on the dais, the golden sarcophagus.

The room was silent except for the crackle of the fires. Luke wasn't here. No guards. Nothing. This was too easy.

I approached the dais with caution, watching out for enemies.

The sarcophagus was just like I remembered—about ten feet long, much too big for a human. It was carved with elaborated scenes of death and destruction, pictures of gods being trodden under chariots, temples and famous landmarks being smashed and burned. The whole coffin gave off an aura of extreme cold, like I was walking into a freezer. My breath began to steam.

I drew Riptide and hit the button on my wristwatch spiraling out my shield and took a little comfort from the familiar weights of the sword and shield in my hand and arm.

Whenever I'd approached Kronos before, his evil voice had spoken in my mind. Why was he silent now? He'd been shred into a thousand pieces, cut with his own scythe. What would I find if I opened that lid? How could they make a new body for him? Could they used Perdix's plan like Daedalus of using an Automaton body? Can a Titan possess an automaton body?

I had no answers. I just knew that if he was about to rise, I had to strike him down before he got his scythe. I had to figure out a way to stop him.

I stood over the coffin. The lid was decorated even more intricately than the sides—with scenes of carnage and power. In the middle was an inscription carved in letters even older than Greek, a language of magic. I couldn't read it, exactly, but I knew what it said: KRONOS, LORD OF TIME.

I touched the lid with my sword since my other hand was holding my shied and frost gathered on my sword.

Then I heard noises behind me, voices approaching. It was now or never. I pushed back the golden lid with my sword and it fell to the floor with a huge _WHOOOOM!_

I lift my sword, ready to strike. But when I looked inside, I didn't comprehend what I was seeing. Mortal legs, dressed in gray pants. A white T-shirt, hands folded over his stomach. One piece of his chest was missing—a clean black hole about the size of a bullet wound, right where his heart should've been. His eyes were closed. His skin was pale. Blond hair… and a scar running along the left side of his face.

The body in the coffin was Luke's.

I was so stunned to see Luke, I didn't try for the final blow. I didn't understand. Why was Luke in the coffin, and why he looked so very, very dead.

Then the voices of the telekhines were right behind me.

"What has happened!" one of the demons screamed when he saw the lid. I stumbled away from the dais, forgetting that I was invisible, and hid behind a column as they approached.

"Careful!" the other demon warned. "Perhaps he stirs. We must present the gifts now. Immediately!"

The two telekhines shuffled forward and knelt, holding up the scythe on its wrapping cloth. "My lord," one said.

"Your symbol of power is remade."

Silence. Nothing happened in the coffin.

"You fool," the other telekhines muttered. "He requires the half-blood."

Ethan stepped back. "Whoa, what do you mean, he requires me?"

"Don't be a coward!" the first telekhines hissed. "He does not require your death. Only your allegiance. Pledge him your service. Renounce the gods. That is all."

"No!" I yelled. It was the stupid thing to do, but I charged into the room and took off the cap. "Ethan, don't!"

"Trespasser!" the telekhines bared their seal teeth. "The master will deal with you soon enough. Hurry, boy!"

'"Ethan, don't do it!" I responded.

Ethan turned toward me, his eye patch blending in with the shadows on his face. His expression was something like pity. "I told you not to spare me, Percy. 'An eye for an eye.' You ever heard that saying? I learned what it means the hard way—when I discovered my godly parent. I'm the child of Nemesis, Goddess of Revenge. And this is what I was made to do."

He turned to the dais. "I renounce the gods! What have they ever done for me? I will see them destroyed. I will serve Kronos."

The building rumbled. A wisp of blue light rose from the floor at Ethan Nakamura's feet. It drifted toward the coffin and began to shimmer, like a cloud of pure energy. Then it descended into the sarcophagus.

Luke sat bolt upright. His eyes opened, and they were no longer blue. They were golden, the same color as the coffin. The hole in his chest was gone. He was complete. He leaped out of the coffin with ease, and where his feet touched the floor, the marble froze like a crater of ice.

He looked at Ethan and the telekhines with those horrible golden eyes, as if he were a newborn baby, not sure what he was seeing. Then he looked at me, and a smile of recognition crept across his mouth.

"This body has been well prepared." His voice was like razor blades running over my skin. It was Luke's, but not Luke's. Underneath his voice was another, more horrible sound—an ancient, cold sound like metal scraping against rock. "Don't you think so, Percy Jackson?"

I couldn't move. I couldn't answer.

Kronos threw back his head and laughed. The scar on his face rippled.

"I must thank you," Kronos said. "Before your fight in the arena, Luke's loyalty to me have been—I must say questionable. Sure his hatred toward his father for what happened to his mother made him a powerful tool, but you—he couldn't bring himself to kill the boy he rescued eight years ago—the boy he saw as his little brother, who knew more about his parents than he did himself. That's why I had to test his loyalty one more time before claiming his body, to have him denounced you as his _little brother_ in front of an audience to hear."

Ethan collapsed in terror. He covered his face with his hands. The telekhines trembled, holding up the scythe.

I was shaking, but not with fear, but with anger. Annabeth was right, Luke didn't mean to denounced me like that. What's worse was that it seemed Kronos knew the truth about Luke's parents, and made sure Luke never knew. Now Luke was gone, and Kronos is in his body.

I lunched at the thing that used to be Luke, thrusting my blade straight at his chest, but his skin deflected with blow like he was made of pure steel. He looked at me with amusement. Then he flicked his hand and I flew across the room.

I slapped against the pillar. I struggled to my feet, blinking the stars out of my eyes, but Kronos had already grasped the handle of his scythe.

"Ah… much better," he said. "Backbiter, Luke called it. An appropriate name. Now that it is re-forged completely, it shall indeed _bite back_."

"You'll pay!" I responded.

Kronos raised his scythe. "Luke may have cared about you, Percy Jackson, but that's where we're different, for I do not."

I spiraled my shield back into wristwatch form and uncapped my thermos uncapped it ready to summon a water blast and condensed it into a fist.

However, before I could, time slowed down around me, like the world was turning into Jell-O. I'd had this feeling once before, and I knew it was the power of Kronos. His presence was so strong it could bend time itself.

That's when it dawned to me, why Hal looked so scared when he looked into Luke's future. This was Luke's future. Luke decided to join Kronos, denounced me, and now cause of it Kronos took over his body.

Kronos approached me leisurely, swinging his scythe as if he were enjoying the feel of having it in his hands again. No weapon in the world could stop him. No amount of celestial bronze.

He was ten feet away from me when I heard, "PERCY!"

Rachel's voice.

Something flew past me, and a blue plastic hairbrush hit Kronos in the eye.

"Ow!" he yelled. For a moment it was only Luke's voice, full of surprise and pain. My limbs were freed and I immediately summoned a water blast out of my thermos, condensing it into a fist that hit Luke, sending him flying into the ground.

I quickly capped my thermos and ran straight into Rachel, Nico, and Annabeth, who were standing in the entry hall, their eyes wide with dismay.

"Luke?" Annabeth called. "What?"

I grabbed her by the shirt and hauled her after me. I ran as fast as I've ever run, straight out of the fortress. We were almost back to the Labyrinth entrance when I heard the loudest bellow in the world—the voice of Kronos, coming back into control. "AFTER THEM!"

"No!" Nico yelled. He clapped his hands together, and a jagged spire of rock the size of an eighteen-wheeler erupted from the ground right in front of the fortress. The tremor it caused was so powerful the front columns of the building came crashing down. I heard muffled screams from the telekhines inside. Dust billowed everywhere.

We plunged into the Labyrinth and kept running, the howl of the Titan Lord shaking the entire world behind us.


	17. The Lost God Speaks

**A/N:** Certain ancient Greek names matches words use of foul language but no foul language was intentionally used. Also if you haven't read them yet read 'The Tales of the Son of Poseidon & the Early Adventures' 'The Tales of the Son of Poseidon & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief' 'The Tales of the Son of Poseidon & the Olympians: The Sea of Monsters' and 'The Tales of the Son of Poseidon & the Olympians: The Titan's Curse' before reading this story. Lastly, any one who wants to do a Demigods and Olympian reads story using 'The Tales of the Son of Poseidon' is allowed _as long as_ you inform me about it.

* * *

 **The Lost God Speaks**

We ran until we were exhausted. Rachel steered us away from the traps, but we had no destination in mind—only _away_ from that dark mountain and the roar of Kronos.

We stopped in a tunnel of wet white rock, like part of a natural cave. I couldn't hear anything behind us, but I didn't feel safer. I could still remember those unnatural golden eyes staring out of Luke's face, and the feeling that my limbs were slowly turning to stone.

"I can't go any farther," Rachel gasped, hugging her chest.

Annabeth and I collapsed next to the tunnel walls. Annabeth placed her head between her knees while I looked down. Annabeth had been crying ever since we'd been running, and her sobs echoed in the tunnel. I felt like the sky has crashed down on me, only this time I didn't held it up.

Nico sat down across from us and dropped his sword next to mine and took a shaky breath.

"That sucked," he said.

Annabeth and I didn't speak for a bit until Annabeth lifted her head. Her eyes were red from crying. "What… what was wrong with Luke? What did they do to him?"

I told her what I'd seen in the coffin, the way the last piece of Kronos' spirit had entered Luke's body when Ethan Nakamura pledged his service. My voice cracked when I brought up what Kronos said about Luke denouncing me was his final test of loyalty.

"Kronos knew. I don't know how, but he knew about the truth of Luke's parents," I responded. "That's why Luke denounced me. If Luke didn't and he had found out, it would of spoiled Kronos' plans."

"But you saw what happened when Rachel's hair brush hit him," Annabeth said, "When it hit him, just for a second, he was dazed. He came back to his senses."

"Maybe Kronos wasn't completely settled in the body," I said, "I don't want to give up on Luke, but I doubt Kronos would let us get the upper hand like that again."

Annabeth looked like she wanted to argue, but I guess she couldn't find a way to argue, as she placed her head down again and sobbed miserably.

I really have no idea how to comfort her. How can I? If there was a silver lining to this, I don't see it.

 _If there is any god listening, please help us,_ I prayed in silent.

I felt a familiar breeze that I didn't realize until later was giving off a scent of wilderness, but right now I didn't think much of it until I heard a familiar echo of a goat bleating. "Blaaah!"

"Did you guys hear a goat?" Rachel asked.

"Blaaah!"

I raised my head and looked around. I quickly took out my flashlight and shined it down the tunnel. Sure enough there was a familiar stormy gray goat.

"Amalthiea!" I shot up. Apparently her sudden appearance caught Annabeth's and Nico's attention too as they stood up.

"You know that thing?" Rachel asked. Despite the fact that Rachel could see through the Mist and knew Amalthiea wasn't your average goat, I took offensive to that

"That _goat_ raised baby Zeus when he was in hiding during the rule of the Titans and been helping heroes including us before we asked you to be our guide," I responded.

"Oh—sorry," Rachel responded.

"But didn't she disappeared?" Nico asked.

"Amalthiea, what are you doing here?" I asked.

Amalthiea lowered her head to the ground as if looking for grass that wasn't there. But there was something else familiar on the ground.

I walked over and looked down on a clump of red fabric lying on the ground. It was a Rasta cap: the one Grover always wore.

My hands shook as I picked up the cap. It looked like it had been stepped on by a huge muddy boot. After all that I'd gone through today, I couldn't stand the thought that something might've happened to Grover, too.

Then I noticed something else. The cave floor was mushy and wet from water dripping off the stalactites. There were huge footprints, like Tyson's and smaller ones—goat hooves—leading off to the left.

"Grover and Tyson—it has to be theirs," I said. "It's fresh—they weren't here that long ago."

"Blaaah!" Amalthiea grabbed my shirt with her teeth and pulling me the direction where the prints were going.

"We need to follow her," I said, not needing to ask.

"What about Camp Half-Blood?" Nico said. "There's no time."

"We have to find them," Annabeth insisted. "They're our friends."

"Amalthiea, lead the way," I said, "Take us to Grover and Tyson."

Amalthiea didn't need to be told twice as she trotted off as the rest of us, including a confuse Rachel.

The tunnel was treacherous. It sloped at weird angles and was slimy with moisture. Half the time we were slipping and sliding, trying to keep up with the immortal goat.

Finally we got to the bottom of a slope and found ourselves in a large cave with huge stalagmite columns. Through the center of the room ran an underground river, and Tyson was sitting by the banks, cradling Grover in his lap. Grover's eyes were closed. He wasn't moving.

"Tyson!" I yelled.

"Percy! Come quick!"

We ran over to him. Grover wasn't dead, thank the gods, but his whole body trembled like he was freezing to death.

"What happened?" I asked.

"So many things," Tyson murmured. "Large snake. Large dogs. Men with swords. But then… we got close to here. Grover was excited. He ran. Then we reach this room, and he fell. Like this.

"Did he say anything?" I asked.

"He said, 'We're close.' Then he hit his head on rocks."

I knelt next to him. The only other time I'd seen Grover passed out was in New Mexico, when he'd felt the presence of Pan.

"Blaah!" I heard Amalthiea bleated, which caught me off guard because I thought she would have disappeared by now.

I shined my flash light and found her ant the far end of the cave where there was another entrance to another cave. Beyond that—

"Blessing of Pan," I muttered as I rose and yelled, "Amalthiea, you didn't come to us on Hera's order, did you?"

"Blaaah!"

I didn't speak goat, but something in my gut told me I was right.

"Grover," I said starting to shake Grover, "Wake up."

"Uhhhhhhhhhh."

Annabeth knelt next to him and splash icy cold river water in his face.

"Splurg!" His eyelids fluttered. "Percy? Annabeth? Where…"

"It's' okay," I said. "You passed out. The presence was too much for you."

"I—I remember. Pan."

"Yeah," I said. "Something powerful is just beyond that doorway."

…

I made quick introductions, since Tyson and Grover had never met Rachel. Tyson told Rachel she was pretty, which made Annabeth's nostrils flared like she was going to blow fire.

"Come on, Grover," I said, "Lean on me."

Annabeth and I helped him up, and together we wadded across the underground river. The current was strong. The water came up to our waists. I willed myself to stay dry, which is a handy little ability, but it didn't help the others, and I could still feel the cold like wading through a snow drift.

"I think we're in Carlsbad Caverns," Annabeth said, her teeth chattering. "Maybe an unexplored section in New Mexico. That would explain last winter."

I nodded. Grover's swooning episode had happened when we passed through New Mexico. That's where he'd felt closest to the power of Pan.

We got out of the water and kept walking. As the crystal pillars of the cave loomed larger, I started to feel the power of emanating from the next room. I'd been in the presence of gods tons of times, but this was different. My skin tinged with living energy. My skin tingled with living energy. My weariness fell away, as if I'd just gotten a good night's sleep. I could feel myself growing stronger, like one of those plants in a time lapse video. And the scent coming from the cave was nothing like the dank wet underground. It smelled of trees and flowers and a warm summer day.

I remember what I said last winter how I would clean the seas of all pollution if I could, and this presence seem to be encouraging me to do that and more.

Grover whimpered with excitement. I was too stunned to talk. Even Nico was speechless. We stepped into the cave, and Rachel said, "Oh wow."

The was glittered with crystals—red, green, and blue. In a strange light, beautiful plants grew—giant orchids, star shaped flowers, vines bursting with orange and purple berries that crept among the crystals. The cave floor was covered with soft green moss. Overhead, the ceiling was higher than a cathedral, sparkling like a galaxy of stars. IN the center of the cave stood a Roman-style bed, gilded wood shaped like a curly U, with velvet cushions. Animals lounged around it—but they were animals that shouldn't have been alive. There was a dodo bird, something that looked like a cross between a wolf and a tiger, a huge rodent like the mother of all guinea pigs, and roaming behind the bed, picking berries with its trunk, was a wooly mammoth. Even Amalthiea joined them as if feeling welcomed.

On the bed lay an old satyr. He watched us as we approached, his eyes as blue as the sky. His curly hair was white and so was his pointed beard. Even the goat fur on his legs was frosted with gray. His horns were enormous—glossy brown and curved. There was no way he could've hidden those under a hat the way Grover did. Around his neck hung a set of reed pipes.

Grover fell to his knees in front of the bed. "Lord Pan!"

The god smiled kindly, but there was sadness in his eyes. "Grover, my dear, brave satyr. I have waited a very long time for you."

"I… got lost," Grover said.

Pan laughed. It was a wonderful sound, like the first breeze of springtime, filling the whole cavern with hope.

The tiger-wolf sighed and rested his head at the god's knees. The dodo bird pecked affectionately at the god's hooves, making a strange sound in the back of its bill. I could swear it was humming "It's a Small World."

Still, Pan looked tired. His whole form shimmered as if he were made of Mist.

I kneeled in awed in front of Pan, along with the rest of my friends.

"Lord Pan—was it you that send Amalthiea to us?" I asked.

Lord Pan looked at me and smiled. "I heard your prayer Percy Jackson, along with the pain of loss in your heart, but most importantly the love for your friends and of the sea and those that lived in it. I couldn't ignore the request from such a pure half-blood. And dear Amalthiea here was all too happy to come to your aid."

"Blaaah!" Amalthiea responded.

"This place is the most beautiful place!" Annabeth said. "It's better than any building ever designed."

"I'm glad you like it dear," Pan said. "It is one of the last wild places. My realm above is gone, I'm afraid. Only pockets remain. Tiny pieces of life. This one shall stay undisturbed… for a little longer."

"My lord," Grover said, "please, you must come back with me! The Elders will never believe it! They'll be overjoyed! You can save the wild!"

Pan placed his hand on Grover's head and ruffled his curly hair. "You are young, Grover. So good and true. I think I chose well."

"Chose?" Grover said. "I—I don't understand."

Pan's image flickered, momentarily turning into smoke. The giant guinea pig scuttled under the bed with a terrified squeal. The wooly mammoth grunted nervously. The dodo bird stuck her head under her wing. Then Pan re-formed.

"I have slept many eons," the god said forlornly. "My dreams have been dark. I wake fitfully, and each time my waking is shorter. Now we are near the end."

"What?" Grover cried. "But no! You're right here!"

"My dear satyr," Pan said. "I tried to tell the world, two thousand years ago. I announced it to Lysas, a satyr very much like you. He lived in Ephesos and tried to spread the word."

"Annabeth's eyes widened. "The old story. A sailor passing by the coats of Ephesos heard a voice crying from the shore, 'Tell them the great god Pan is dead.'"

"But it wasn't true!" Grover said.

"Your kind never believed it," Pan said. "You sweet, stubborn satyrs refuse to accept my passing. And I love you for that, but you only delayed the inevitable. You only prolonged my long, painful passing, my dark twilight sleep. It must end."

"No!" Grover's voice trembled.

"Dear Grover," Pan said. "You must accept the truth. Your companion, Nico, he understands."

Nico nodded slowly. "He's dying. He should have died long ago. This… this is more like a memory."

"But gods can't die," Grover said.

"They can fade," Pan said, "when everything they stood for is gone. When they ceased to have power, and their sacred places disappeared. The wild, my dear Grover, is so small now, so shattered, no god can save it. Artemis has tried her best to preserve what she could, but my realm is gone. That is why I need you to carry a message. You must go back to the council. You must tell the satyrs, and the dryads, and the other spirits of nature, that the great god Pan _is_ dead. Tell them of my passing. Because they must stop waiting for me to save them. I cannot. The only salvation you must make yourself. Each of you must—"

He stopped and frowned at the dodo bird, who had started humming again.

"Dede, what are you doing?" Pan demanded. "Are you singing, _Kumbaya_ again?"

Dede looked up innocently and blinked her yellow eyes.

Pan sighed. "Everybody's a cynic. But as I was saying, my dear Grover, each of you must take up my calling."

"But… no!" Grover whimpered.

"Be strong," Pan said. "You have found me. And now you must release me. You must carry on my spirit. It can no longer be carried by a god. It must be taken up by all of you."

Pan looked straight at me with his clear blue eyes, and I realized he wasn't just talking about the satyrs. He meant half-bloods, too, and humans. Everyone.

"Percy Jackson," the god said, "As I said before, I know of the pain of loss in your heart. I know about your doubt about Halcyon's prediction and advice. But I give you this advice: don't give up on your destiny just yet. I don't need to see into your future to know you are meant for great things, and the promises you have and will make will come true, but not without the help of those around you."

He turned to Annabeth. "Daughter of Athena, your time is coming. You will play a great role along side with Percy, though it may not be the roll you imagined.

Then he looked at Tyson. "Master Cyclops, do not despair. Heroes rarely live up to our expectations. But you, Tyson Jackson, your name shall live among the Cyclopes for generations. And Miss Rachel Dare…"

Rachel flinched when he said her name She backed up like she was guilty of something, but Pan smiled. He raised his hand in a blessing.

"I know you believe you cannot make amends," he said. "But you are just as important as your father."

"I—" Rachel faltered. A tear traced her cheek

"I know you don't believe this now," Pan said. "But look for opportunities. They will come. As for you, Nico di Angelo: son of Hades—"

Nico flinched as Pan continued, "You will make amends of what your elder half-siblings have done in the past, just as your sister would when the time comes to amend her past."

Nico frowned. "Bianca's past—what—"

Pan turned back to Grover. "My dear satyr," Pan said kindly, "will you carry my message?"

"I—I can't."

"You can," Pan said. "You are the strongest and bravest. Your heart is true. You have believed in me more than anyone ever has, which is why you must bring the message, and why you must be the first to release me."

"I don't want to."

"I know," the god said. "But my name, _Pan_ … originally it meant _rustic_. Did you know that? But over the years it come to mean _all_. The spirit of the wild must pass to all of you now. You must tell each one you meet: if you would find Pan, take up Pan's spirit. Remake the wild, little at a time, each in your own corner of the world. You cannot wait for anyone else, even a god, to do that for you."

Grover whipped his eyes. Then he slowly stood. "I've spent my whole life looking for you. Now… I release you."

Pan smiled. "Thank you, dear satyr. My final blessing."

He closed his eyes, and the god dissolved. White mist divided into wisps of energy, but this kind of energy wasn't scary like the blue power I'd seen from Kronos. If filled the room. A curl of smoke went straight into my mouth, and Grover's, and the others. But I think a little more of it went into Grover. The crystals dimmed. The animals gave us sad look. Dede the dodo sighed. Then they all—with an exception of Amalthiea, turned gray and crumbled into dust. Once they were gone Amalthiea turned into cloud of thunderclouds before disappearing, indicating her job was done. The vines withered and we were alone in a dark cave with an empty bed.

I switched on my flashlight.

Grover took a deep breath.

"Are… are you okay?" I asked him.

He looked older and sadder. He took his cap from me, which I still had, brushed off the mud, and stuck it firmly on his curly head.

"We should go now," he said, "and tell them. The great god is dead."

* * *

 **A/N:** Sorry if you had hopes for Pan being saved.


	18. The Battle of the Labyrinth

**A/N:** Certain ancient Greek names matches words use of foul language but no foul language was intentionally used. Also if you haven't read them yet read 'The Tales of the Son of Poseidon & the Early Adventures' 'The Tales of the Son of Poseidon & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief' 'The Tales of the Son of Poseidon & the Olympians: The Sea of Monsters' and 'The Tales of the Son of Poseidon & the Olympians: The Titan's Curse' before reading this story. Lastly, any one who wants to do a Demigods and Olympian reads story using 'The Tales of the Son of Poseidon' is allowed _as long as_ you inform me about it.

* * *

 **The Battle of the Labyrinth**

Distance was shorter in the Labyrinth. Still, by the time Rachel got us back to Time Square, I felt like we'd pretty much run all the way from New Mexico. We climbed out of the Marriott basement and stood on the sidewalk in the bright summer daylight, squinting at the traffic and crowds.

I couldn't decide which seemed less real—New York or the crystal cave where I'd watched a god die.

I led the way into an alley, where I could get a nice echo. Then I whistled as loud as I could, five times.

A minute later, Rachel gasped. "They're beautiful!"

A flock of pegasi descended from the sky, swooping between the skyscrapers. Blackjack was in the lead, followed by four of his white friends.

 _Yo, boss!_ He spoke in my mind. _You lived!_

"Yeah," I told him. "I'm lucky that way. Listen, we need a ride to camp _quick_."

 _That's my specialty! Oh man, you got that Cyclops with you?_

"He's my brother," I reminded him, "and there's a _Big_ reward for those who carries Tyson _and_ Nico."

 _Fine, Guido! How's your back holding up?_

The Pegasus Guido groaned and complained, but he agreed to carry Tyson, as well as another reluctantly agreed to give Nico a ride. Everybody started saddling up—except Rachel.

"Well," she told me, "I guess this is it."

I nodded uncomfortably. We both knew she couldn't go to camp. The only mortals that were allowed were the mortal girls that joined the Hunters of Artemis, and they have Artemis' blessing. I glanced at Annabeth, who was pretending to be very busy with her Pegasus.

"Thanks, Rachel," I said. "We couldn't have done it without you."

"I wouldn't have missed it. I mean, except for almost dying, and Pan…" Her voice faltered.

"He said something about your father," I remembered. "What did he mean?"

Rachel strap on her backpack. "My dad… my dad's job. He's kind of a famous businessman."

"So you're rich. That explained the Chauffer in some ways," I responded.

"Yes," Rachel said. "Percy. My dad's a land developer. He flies all over the world, looking for tracts of undeveloped land." She took a shaky breath. "The wild. He—he buys it up. I hate it, but he plows it down and builds ugly subdivisions and shopping centers. And now that I've seen Pan… Pan's death  
—"

"Hey, you can't blame yourself for that."

"You don't know the worst of it. I—I don't like to talk about my family. I didn't want you to know."

"So?" I asked. "You know how many half-siblings I have that caused so much trouble that I rather not see them as my siblings?"

"I guess," Rachel said.

"Plus I'm not the type to judge someone by their parentage, but by their actions," I responded. "And what you did in the maze shows you've got guts and that's what matters."

Rachel looked at me gratefully. "Well… if you ever feel like hanging out with a mortal again… you could call me or something."

"Uh, yeah. Sure."

She knit her eyebrows. I guess I sounded unenthusiastic or something, but that's not how I meant it. I just wasn't sure what to say with all my friends standing around. And I guess my feelings had gotten pretty mixed up the last couple of days.

"I mean… I'd like that," I said.

"My number's not in the book," she said.

"I got it memorized."

She smiled. "See you later, Percy Jackson. Go save the world for me, okay, great hero?"

"One of seven great heroes actually," I stated, "I'll explain about it another time—or at least what I know."

Rachel nodded and walked off down Seventh Avenue and disappeared into the crowds.

At last the rest of us got on a Pegasus. We shot into the air, and soon we were over the East River with Long Island spread out before us.

We landed in the middle of the cabin area and were immediately met by Chiron, the potbellied satyr Silenus, Thalia, Bianca, and a couple of Apollo cabin archers. Chiron wasn't as shock when we told him about Quintus being Daedalus, or Kronos rising.

"I fear as much," Chiron said. "We must hurry. Hopefully you have slowed the Titan lord, but his vanguard will still be coming through. They will be anxious for blood. Most of our defenders already in place. Come!"

"Wait a moment," Silenus demanded. "What of the search for Pan? You were almost three weeks overdue, Grover Underwood! Your searcher's license is revoked!"

Grover took a deep breath. He stood up straight and looked Silenus in the eyes. "Searcher's licenses don't matter anymore. The great god Pan is dead. He has passed on and left us his spirit."

 _"What?"_ Silenus's face turned bright red. "Sacrilege and lies! Grover Underwood, I will have you exiled for speaking thus!"

"It's true," Annabeth said, "We were there when he died. All of us."

"Impossible! You are all liars! Nature-destroyers!"

Finally something in me snapped. I uncapped Riptide, causing it to grow in full length while aiming it at Silenus neck.

"Percy!" Chiron said.

"Listen you pathetic excuse of a Satyr. I swear on the River Styx that what Grover says is the truth, and if you can't accept it, you can stuff it down your throat into your fat belly, because I'm not going to let _you_ and any of your satyr buddies of the Council treat Grover like trash just because you can't accept the truth," I threatened.

There was a moment of silence with an exception of the rumbling in the sky caused by oath.

"Percy, please," Chiron said calmly, "We can handle this later, if we make it out of this battle alive, but right now, we should _really_ prepare for the attack coming."

I reluctantly pulled back my sword and capped it before stuffing it back in my pocket.

"I take it a lot more happened between Luke and you than Kronos taking possession?" Thalia asked.

"Why do you ask?" I asked.

"Because you don't normally threaten at a satyr at sword point," Thalia responded.

I sighed. "I'll tell you later, after we survive this battle. But right now, I want to focus on the situation at hand."

"Fine," Thalia sighed.

…

It was the biggest military operation I'd ever seen at camp in the eight years I been a camper. Everyone was at the clearing, dressed in full battle armor, but this time it wasn't for capture the flag. The Hephaestus cabin had set up traps around the entrance to the Labyrinth—razor wire, pits filled with pots of Greek fire, rows of sharpened sticks to deflect a charge. Beckendorf was manning two catapults the size of pickup trucks, already primed and aimed at Zeus' Fist. The Ares cabin was on the front line, drilling in phalanz formation with Clarisse calling orders. Apollo's and Hermes cabins along with the Hunters of Artemis were scattered in the woods with bows ready. Many had taken up positions in the trees. Even the dryads were armed with bows and the satyrs trotted around with wooden cudgels and shields made from rough tree bark.

Annabeth went to join her brethren from the Athena cabin, who had set up a command tent and were directing operations. A gray banner with an owl fluttered outside the tent. Our security chief, Argus, stood guard at the door. Aphrodite's children were running around straightening everybody's armor and offering comb the tangles out of our horsehair plumes. Even Dionysus's kids had found something to do. The god himself was still nowhere to be seen, but his two blond twin sons were running around providing all the sweaty warriors with water bottles and juice boxes.

It looked like a pretty good set up, but Chiron muttered next to me, "It isn't enough."

I thought about what I'd seen in the Labyrinth, all the monsters in Antaeus' stadium, and the power of Kronos I'd felt on Mt. Tam. My heart sank Chiron was right, but it was all we could muster. For once I wished Dionysus was here, but even if he had been, I didn't know if he could do anything. When it came to war, gods were forbidden to interfere directly. Apparently, the Titans didn't believe in restrictions like that.

Over at the edge of the clearing, Grover was talking to Juniper. She held his hands while he told her our story. Green tears formed in her eyes as he delivered the news about Pan.

Tyson helped the Hephaestus kids prepare the defenses. He picked up boulders and piled them next to the catapults for firing.

"Stay with me, Percy," Chiron said. "When the fighting begins, I want you to wait until we know what we're dealing with. You must go where we need reinforcements."

"Chiron, how can a titan take over a mortal body?" I asked.

"I do not know, Percy. Gods have assumed the shapes of mortals for ages, but the only stories I heard of one merging with mortals aren't even Greek or Roman," Chiron said.

I frowned. "What culture was that?"

"Don't worry about it, Percy. They're only… stories," Chiron said.

He sounded like he was holding back something but I let it go. If there were other religious divine beings, I would think someone who could see through the Mist like Rachel or my mom would know.

My train of thought was interrupted when the ground underneath us was trembling.

Everyone in the clearing stopped what they were doing. Clarisse barked a single order: "Lock shields!"

Then the Titan lord's army exploded from the Labyrinth.

I mean I'd been in fights before, but this was a full scale battle. The first thing I saw were a dozen Laistrygonian giants erupting from the ground, yelling so loudly my ears felt like bursting They carried shields made from flattened cars, and clubs that were tree trunks with rusty spikes bristling at the end. One of the giants bellowed at the Ares phalanx, smashed it sideways with his club, and the entire cabin was thrown aside, a dozen warriors tossed to the wind like rag dolls.

"Fire!" Beckendorf yelled. The catapults swung into action. Two boulders hurtled toward the giants. One deflected off a car shield with hardly a dent, but the other caught a Laistrygonian in the chest, and the giant went down. Apollo's archer and Artemis' Hunters fired a volley, dozens of celestial bronze and silver arrows sticking in the thick armor of the giants like porcupine quills. Thanks to the precise aim of both groups, many of the Laistrygonians were destroyed.

But just when it looked like the Laistrygonians were overwhelmed, the next wave surged out of the maze: thirty, maybe forty _dracaenae_ in full battle armor, wielding spears and nets. They dispersed in all directions. Some hit the traps the Hephaestus cabin had laid. One got stuck on the spikes and became an easy target for archers. Another triggered a trip wire, and pots of Greek fire exploded into green flames, engulfing several of the snake women. But many more kept coming. Argus and Athena's warriors rushed forward to meet them. I saw Annabeth draw a sword and engage one of them. Nearby, Tyson was riding a giant. Somehow he'd managed to climb onto the giant's bac and was hitting him on the head with a bronze shield— _BONG! BONG! BONG!_

I saw an enemy half-blood fighting a son of Dionysus and was beating him badly. Quickly I took out my thermos and fired a water blast that hit the half-blood, sending him scrambling back.

"Go to the affirmary!" I told Mr. D's son.

He nodded and scrambled out of there.

Finally a hellhound—not Mrs. O'Leary—leaped out of the tunnel straight toward the satyrs. I took aim at the hellhound and fired another water blast at it. The water blast hit the hellhound but only forced it back.

Then out of nowhere lightning fired from somewhere where the archers were and fused with my water blast, destroying the hellhound. I didn't need to look to know that was Thalia.

"GO!" Chiron yelled at me.

I capped my thermos, drew riptide and spiraled out my shield and raced across the battle field as enemy warriors shot flaming arrows into the trees, sending our archers and dryads into a panic.

A dozen _dracaenae_ suddeny broke away from the main fight and slithered down the path that led toward camp, like knew where they were going. If they got out, they could burn down the entire place, completely unopposed.

The only person anywhere near was Nico di Angelo. He stabbed a telekhines, and his black Stygian blade absorbed the monster's essence, drinking its energy until there was nothing left but dust.

"Nico!" I yelled.

He looked where I was pointing, saw the serpent women, and immediately understood.

He took a deep breath and held out his black sword. "Serve me," he called.

The earth trembled. A fissure opened in front of the _dracaenae_ , and a dozen undead warriors crawled from the earth—horrible corpses in military uniforms from all different periods—U.S. Revolutionaries, Roman centurions, Napoleonic Calvary on skeletal horse. As one, they drew their swords and engage the _dracaenae_.

Nico crumbled to his knees as another hellhound—again, not Mrs. O'Leary—jumped at him. But before it could kill Nico, two arrows shot out of nowhere and hit it, killing it instantly.

Bianca di Angelo appeared out of the shadows next to her brother with her bow ready to strike down any enemy that tried to get in their way. I must admit, Bianca really has improved with her shadow traveling.

That's when I got an idea of how to ease the burden off Nico's shoulders. If by chance these undead-soldiers were from losing side of wars, then a child of Ares should be able to command them as well.

"Clarisse!" I yelled.

Clarisse looked up from her battle with a half-blood she had beaten and turned toward me as I pointed at Nico's army.

She saw the dead-warriors and must have realized what my plan was as she nodded, took down the enemy half-blood, raised her sword and shouted with a commanding voice, "Spirits of soldiers from losing sides of wars, I command you as a child of Ares to attack our enemies!" Clarisse aimed her sword at the horde of monsters attacking.

At first the undead soldiers were confused but it didn't last long as they started obeying Clarisse's order as well as Nico's.

I was about to join them when I heard Grover's voice: "Percy."

A forest fire had started. Flames roared within ten feet of Juniper's tree, and Juniper and Grover were going nuts trying to save it. Grover played rain song on his pipes. Juniper desperately tried to beat out the flames with her green shawl, but it was only making things worse.

I ran toward them, jumping past duels, weaving between giants. I capped riptide and once again pulled out my thermos and concentrated. There was a pull in my gut, a roar in my ears and water shot out of my thermos and doused down the fire.

"Thanks, Percy!" Grover said.

"No problem," I ran back toward the fight, and Grover and Juniper followed. Grover had cudgel his hand and Junipier held a stick—like an old-fashioned whipping stick. She looked really angry, like she was going to tan somebody's backside.

Just when it seemed like the battle had balanced out again—like we might stand a chance—an unearthly shriek echoed out of the Labyrinth, a sound I had heard before.

Kampê shot into the sky, her bat wings fully extended. She landed on top of Zeus' Fist and surveyed the carnage. Her face was filled with evil glee. The mutant animal heads growled at her waist. Snakes hissed and swirled around her legs. In her right hand she held a glittering ball of thread—Ariadne's string—but she popped it into a lion's mouth at her waist and drew her curved swords. The blades glowed green with poison. Kampê screeched in triumph, and some of the campers screamed. Others tried to run and got trampled by hellhounds or giants.

 _"Di Immortales!"_ Chiron yelled. He quickly aimed an arrow, but the Kampê seemed to sense his presence. She took flight with amazing speed and Chiron's arrow whizzed harmlessly past her head.

Tyson untangled himself from the giant whom he'd pummeled into unconsciousness. He ran at our lines, shouting, "Stand! Do not run from her! Fight!"

Then a hellhound leaped on him, and Tyson and the hound went rolling away. Thankfully, Thalia had assembled her hunters, "For Artemis!"

The hunters fired with amazing speed that was more impressive than I seen before as silver arrows hit the Kampê in the chest and legs.

It didn't destroy it though but it did force her to land, right on Athena's command tent, smashing it flat.

Thank gods, Annabeth and a bunch of her siblings wasn't caught in it as they scattered across the battle field and Annabeth ran to my side with her sword in her hands.

"This doesn't look good," Annabeth said.

"I know! We need more help!" I said.

Then behind us, something howled. A wall of darkness slammed into the Kampê, sending the monster sideways. And Mrs. O'Leary was standing in front of us, snarling and snapping at the Kampê.

"Mrs. O'Leary!" I responded in shock and happiness.

"Good girl!" said a familiar voice. Daedalus was fighting his way out of the Labyrinth, slashing down enemies left and right as he made his way toward us. Next to him was someone else—a familiar giant, much taller than the Laistrygonians, with a hundred rippling arms, each holding huge chunk of rock."

"Briares!" Tyson cried.

"Hail little brothers!" Briares bellowed, "Stand firm."

Briares not only looked at Tyson when he said that, but also at me, which made me smiled. It seemed Briares took what I said about us being brothers to heart after all.

"You heard the Great Hundred Handed One!" I yelled at the remaining Campers and Hunters, "Attack!"

That seemed to give the campers and Hunters a new boost of hope as the Hunters and Apollo's archers took aim with their arrows as the campers scrambled, grabbing any spears, javelins, and bows and arrows—anything they can find to throw or shoot at the Kampê so they won't be caught in the boulders being thrown by Briares.

BOOOOOM!

Where the Kampê had stood a moment before was a mountain of boulders arrows javelins and spears almost as tall as Zeus' Fist. The only sign that the monster had ever existed were two green points sticking through the cracks.

A cheer went up mostly from the campers, but our enemies weren't done yet. One of the _dracaenae_ yelled, "Ssssslay them! Kill them al or Kronossss will flay you alive!"

Apparently, that threat was more terrifying than we were. The giants surged forward in a last desperate attempt. One surprised Chrion with a glancing blow to the back legs, and he stumbled and fell. Six giants cried in glee and rushed forward.

I gritted my teeth. "Mrs. O'Leary, lay down!" I ordered.

Mrs. O'Leary did as she was told and I climbed onto her back.

"Charge!" I told Mrs. O'Leary, "Save Chiron!"

Mrs. O'Leary was all too happy to listen to me.

If you asked me eight years ago to climb on a hellhound's back and ride it while rescuing Chiron, I would look at you like you were crazy due to my past with Hellhounds. But now was different. Now I trust Mrs. O'Leary enough to ride her.

I don't know who was more surprised the giants or the or the campers and hunters that saw me. Either way, it's in my favor as I combined my training as a swordsman and Mrs. O'Leary's speed and power, to take down as many Giants that were surrounding Chiron as much as we could.

The bad news: the giants that weren't attacking Chiron decided to go after the rest of the camp.

Then it happened. Grover opened his mouth and the most horrible sound I'd ever heard came out. It was like a brass trumpet magnified a thousand times—the sound of pure fear.

As one , the forces of Kronos dropped their weapons and ran for their lives. The giants trampled the _dracaenae_ trying to get into the Labyrinth first. Telekhines and hellhounds—except for Mrs. O'Leary—and enemy half-bloods scrambled after them. The tunnel rumbled shut and the battle was over. The clearing was quiet except for fires burning in the woods, and the cries of the wounded.

I climbed off Mrs. O'Leary's back and ran to Chiron.

"Are you all right?" I asked.

He was lying on his side, trying in vain to get up. "How embarrassing," he muttered. "I think I will be fine. Fortunately, we do not shoot centaurs with broken… ow!... broken legs."

"You need help," Annabeth said rushing toward us, "I'll get the medic from Apollo's cabin."

"No," Chiron insisted. "There are more serious injuries to attend to. Go I am fine. Percy, you did well during the battle. It takes a lot of courage to do what you did."

"Thanks," I responded.

"Also, Grover… later we must talk about how you did that."

"That was amazing," I agreed.

Grover blushed. "I don't know where it came from."

Juniper hugged him fiercely. "I do!"

Before she could say more, Tyson called, "Percy, come quick! It is Nico!"

There was smoke curling off his black clothes. His fingers were clenched, and the grass all around his body had turned yellow and died. Bianca—who had rushed into battle to help Thalia and the rest of the hunters (probably with Nico's persistence)—caught up with us.

I rolled him over as gently as I could and put my hand against his chest. His heart was beating faintly.

"Get some nectar!" Bianca yelled.

One of the Ares campers hobbled over and handed me a canteen. I trickled some of the magic drink into Nico's mouth. He coughed and spluttered, but his eyelids fluttered open.

"Nico, are you okay?" I asked.

Nico nodded weakly. "Never tried to summon so many before. I—I'll be fine."

"Thank gods Clarisse took over the dead when she did," Bianca said before turning to me, "How did you know she could do that?"

I smirked and tapped the bead with the golden fleece on the far end of my beaded necklace. "Children of Ares can command any soldiers that died serving their father during any past war on the side that lost. Right Clarisse?"

Clarisse nodded. "That's right."

Nico didn't argue against it, but rather looked grateful as we helped him sat up and gave him some more nectar.

He blinked at all of us, like he was trying to remember who we were, and then he focused on someone behind me.

"Daedalus," he croaked.

"Yes, my boy," the inventor said. "I made a very bad mistake. I came to correct it."

Daedalus had a few scratches that were bleeding golden oil, but he looked better than most of us. Apparently his automaton body healed itself quickly. Mrs. O'Leary loomed behind him, licking the wounds on his master's head, so Daedalus' hair stood up funny. Briares stood next to him, surrounded by a group of awed campers and satyrs. He looked kind of bashful, but he was signing autographs on armor, shields and T-shirts.

"I found the Hundred-Handed One as I came through the maze," Daedalus explained. "It seems he had the same idea, to come and help. Something about his new found little brothers being right about not being alone. But he was lost. And so we fell in together. We both came to make amends."

"Yay!" Tyson jumped up and down. "Briares! I knew you would come!"

"I did not know," the Hundred-Handed One said. "But you reminded me who I am, Cyclops. And you Percy Jackson, although it took longer for me to realize it, you made me realize that you were right. The other Hundred Handed Ones—my brothers—maybe gone, but I still have brothers that I need to help. Both of you are heroes, and both of you, I'm proud to say, are my brothers."

Tyson blushed, and even I felt embarrassed.

"Now I really want to find out what happened in the Labyrinth," Thalia said which reminded me of our _still_ current situation.

"Daedalus..." I said. "The Titan army is still down there. Even without the string, they'll be back. If Ethan Nakamura is still alive and has the gift of clear sight they will be able to come back, with Kronos leading them."

Daedalus sheathed his sword. "You are right. As long as the Labyrinth is here, your enemies can use it. Which is why the Labyrinth cannot continue."

Annabeth stared at him. "But you said the Labyrinth is tied in your life force! As long as you're alive—"

"Yes, my young architect," Daedalus agreed. "When I die, the Labyrinth will die as well. And so I have a present for you."

He slung a leather satchel off his back, unzipped it, and produced a sleek silver laptop computer—one of the ones I'd seen in the workshop. On the lid was the blue symbol L.

"My work is here," he said. "It's all I managed to save from the fire. Notes on projects I never started. Some of my favorite designs. I couldn't develop these over the last few millennia. I did not dare reveal my work to the mortal world. But perhaps you will find it interesting."

He handed the computer to Annabeth, who stared at it like it was solid gold. "You're giving me this? But this is priceless! This is worth… I don't even know how much!"

"Small compensation for the way I have acted," Daedalus said. "You were right, Annabeth, about children of Athena. We should be wise, and I was not. Someday you will be a greater architect than I ever was. Take my ideas and improve them. It is the least I can do before I pass on."

"Whoa," I said. "Pass on? But you can't just kill yourself. That's wrong!"

He shook his head. "Not as wrong as hiding from my crimes for two thousand years. Genius does not excuse evil, Percy. My time has come. I must face my punishment."

"You won't get a fair trial," Annabeth said, "The spirit Minos sits in judgment—"

"I will take what comes," he said. "And trust in the justice of the underworld such as it is. That is all we can do, isn't it?"

He looked straight at Nico, and Nico's face darkened.

"Yes," He said. "I will help you release your spirit. And I'll talk to my dad about getting Minos removed from judgment seat for abusing his power and manipulation of me but I doubt Minos would step down easily until after your judgment."

Daedalus nodded. "Fair enough, son of Hades. You are becoming wise." Then he turned toward me. "One last favor, Percy Jackson. I cannot leave Mrs. O'Leary alone. And she has no desire to return to the Underworld. Will you care for her?"

I looked at the massive black hound, who whimpered pitifully, still licking Daedalus' hair. I doubt I can keep her in my apartment, but I'm sure after today's battle everyone will be happy to let her stay at camp—as long as she let them train.

"I never imagine that the hellhound that pounced on me when I was seven would ended up being in my care, but then again I never imagined back then that I would ride her to save Chiron," I smiled at Daedalus, "I'll be happy to take care of her."

"Then I am ready to see my son… and Perdix," he said. "I must tell them how sorry I am."

"In that case I have a favor to ask you," I said. "There's one more spirit I want you to visit. His name is Halcyon Green—son of Apollo. He'll had wild hair, green eyes but he's kind and resourceful. If you find him, tell him—tell him 'Percy Jackson hasn't strayed from his destiny'. Hal will know what I mean."

Daedalus smiled a little hearing. "I'll carry on your message, Percy Jackson."

Annabeth had tears in her eyes.

Daedalus turned toward Nico, who drew his sword and simply said. "Your time is long since come. Be released and rest.

A smile of relief spread across Daedalus face. He froze like a statue. His skin turned transparent, revealing the bronze gears and machinery whirring inside his body. Then the statue turned to gray ash and disintegrated.

Mrs. O'Leary howled. I patted her head, trying to comfort her as best I could. The earth rumbled—an earthquake that could probably be felt in every major city across the country—as the ancient Labyrinth collapsed. Somewhere, I hoped, the remains of the Titan's strike force had been buried.

I looked around at the carnage in the clearing, and the weary faces of my friends.

"Come on," I told them. "We have work to do."


	19. Dionysus gets Generous

**A/N:** Certain ancient Greek names matches words use of foul language but no foul language was intentionally used. Also if you haven't read them yet read 'The Tales of the Son of Poseidon & the Early Adventures' 'The Tales of the Son of Poseidon & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief' 'The Tales of the Son of Poseidon & the Olympians: The Sea of Monsters' and 'The Tales of the Son of Poseidon & the Olympians: The Titan's Curse' before reading this story. Lastly, any one who wants to do a Demigods and Olympian reads story using 'The Tales of the Son of Poseidon' is allowed _as long as_ you inform me about it.

* * *

 **Dionysus gets Generous**

There were too many good-byes.

That night was the first time I actually saw camp burial shrouds used on bodies, and it was not something I wanted to see again.

Many of my friends, those I spent eight years training with, dead. Among the dead, Lee Fletcher from Apollo cabin had been downed by a giant club. He was wrapped in golden shroud without any decoration. There were even burials for some of the hunters that died, although the hunters did it separately as tradition.

The good news is, the son of Dionysus that I saved from an enemy half-blood with a water blast from my thermos—Castor—made it out of this battle. He and his twin brother Pollux came to me to thank me personally on Cabin Twelve's and their father's behalf for saving his life. I don't know if Mr. D will accept his sons thanking me for him.

We spent the next day treating the wounded, which was almost everybody. The satyrs and dryads worked to repair the damage to the woods.

At noon, the Council of Cloven Elders held an emergency meeting in their sacred grove. Chiron persuaded them to let me come if I come unarmed, so I left Riptide, my thermos _and_ wristwatch in cabin three.

The three senior satyrs were there along with Chiron, who was in wheelchair form. His broken horse legs was still mending, so he would be confined to the chair for a few months, until the leg was strong enough to take his weight. Also, since this had to do with the News about Pan, and Artemis was the goddess of wildlife, Chiron decided it might be best to have Artemis' most trusted lieutenant to take part: which meant Thalia got the honorary seat as guest-council member, but really I think it was Chiron's way to try and gain Grover's support in the matter.

The grove was filled with satyrs and dryads and naiads up from the water—hundreds of them, anxious to hear what would happen. Among them were also the rest Hunters of Artemis since Pan and Artemis been in good terms since before Pan's disappearance. Juniper, Annabeth, and I stood by Grover's side.

Silenus wanted to exile Grover immediately, but Chiron persuaded him to at least hear the evidence first, so we told everyone what had happened in the crystal cavern, and what Pan had said. The several eyewitnesses from the battle described the weird sound Grover had made, which drove the Titan's army back underground.

"It was panic," insisted Juniper. "Grover summoned the power of the wild god."

I heard of panic but even my eyes widened. Panic was a power of Pan's that let forth a horrible cry in a massive wave and scare away enemy armies. In fact the word _panic_ is named after Pan. And if Grover has this power then Pan must have passed it on to him.

"Preposterous!" Silenus bellowed. "Sacrilege! Perhaps the wild god favored us with a blessing. Or perhaps Grover's music was so awful it scared the enemy away!"

"That wasn't it, sir!" Grover said calmly. "He let his spirit pass into all of us. We must act. Each of us must work to renew the wild, to protect what's left of it. We must spread the word. Pan is dead. There is no one but us."

"After two thousand years of searching, this is what you would have us believe?" Silenus cried. "Never! We must continue the search. Exile the traitor!"

"Can't you see that it was you stubborn old goats are the reason Pan suffered for Two-Thousand years?" Thalia yelled.

"Quiet girl! You're here only to represent Artemis, not to have a say in this!"

Ooh, Silenus shouldn't have done that. Thalia was so angry she send sparks right at the old satyr and didn't seem sorry about it.

"I _am_ Lady Artemis' hand-picked Lieutenant, and successor of Zoë Nightshade, and I know if either of them were here, they would say the same thing," Thalia growled. "So accept the truth and follow Lord Pan's _last_ words so he can finally rest in peace that your stubborn kind have been denying him for two thousand years."

"Wow, I really came in a bad time," said a familiar voice.

Everyone turned. Standing into the grove was Dionysus. He wore a formal black suit, so I almost didn't recognize him, a deep purple tie and a violet dress shirt, his curly dark hair carefully comb. His eyes were bloodshot as usual, and his pudgy face was flushed, but he looked stressed out more than wine-withdrawal.

The satyrs all stood respectfully and bowed as he approached. Dionysus waved his hand, and a new chair grew out of the ground between Silenus and Thalia—a throne made out of grapevines.

I half expected him to dismiss Thalia from the council but all Dionysus did was sat down and crossed his legs. He snapped his fingers and a satyr hurried forward with a plate of cheese and crackers and a Diet Coke.

The god of wine looked around at the assembled crowd. "Miss me?"

The satyrs fell over themselves nodding and bowing. "Oh, yes, very much, sire!"

"Well, I did not miss this place!" Dionysus snapped. Typical Dionysus response. "I bear bad news, my friends. Evil news. Most of the minor gods are changing sides. Morpheus has gone over to the enemy. Hecate, Janus, and Nemesis, as well."

That explains the _empousas_. As evil as they were, I would of thought Hecate would have seen to it that they were destroyed if they betrayed her.

"Zeus knows how many more," Dionysus continued. Thunder rumbled in the distance. "Strike that. Even _Zeus_ doesn't know. Now I want to hear Grover's story. Again, from the top."

"But, my lord," Silenus protested. "It's just nonsense!"

"I highly doubt that since you zapped were zapped by a hunter of Artemis," Dionysus said as he waved Grover to start again.

When Grover was done, Mr. D nodded. "It sounds like just the sort of thing Pan would do, and I would agree with the lieutenant here that her predecessor and Artemis herself would agree to Pan's last words. The search is tiresome. You must start thinking for yourselves, just as Grover said." He turnd to a satyr. "Bring me some peeled grapes, right away!"

"Yes, sire!" the Satyr scampered off.

"We must exile the traitor!" Silenus insisted.

"I say no," Dionysus countered. "That is my vote."

"I vote no as well," Chiron put in.

"As do I," Thalia said.

Silenus set his jaw stubbornly. "All in favor of exile?" He and two other old satyrs raised their hands.

"Three to three," Silenus gritted. "It's a tie."

"Ah, yes," Dionysus said. "But unfortunately for you, a god's vote counts twice in this matter. And I voted against, so Grover is _not_ exiled. As an added bonus, I dissolve search for Pan so he can, as stated before, rest in a well deserve Peace you old goats been denying him for two thousand years!"

Again Chiron and Thalia voted for it.

Silenus stood indignant. "This is an outrage! The council cannot stand for this!"

"Then let it be dissolved!" Mr. D said. "I don't care."

Silenus bowed stiffly, along with his two friends, and they left the grove. About twenty satyrs went with them. The rest stood around murmuring uncomfortably.

"Don't worry," Grover told them. "We don't need a council to tell us what to do. We can figure it out ourselves."

He told them again the words of Pan—how they must save the wild a little at a time. He started dividing the satyrs into the groups—which ones would go to the national parks, which ones would search out the last wild places, which ones would defend the parks in big cities."

"Well," Annabeth said to me, "Grover seems to be growing up."

"And the best news is he's not exiled," I responded.

Annabeth laughed. "Yeah, there's that."

…

Later that afternoon I found Tyson at the beach, talking to Briares. Briares was building a sand castle with about fifty of his hands. He wasn't really paying attention to it, but his hands had constructed a three-story compound with fortified walls, a moat and drawbridge.

Tyson was drawing a map in the sand.

"Go left at the reef," he told Briaries. "Straight down when you see the sunken ship. Then about one mile east, past the mermaid graveyard, you will start to see fires burning.

"You giving him directions to the forges?" I asked.

Tyson nodded. "Briares wants to help. He will teach Cyclopes ways we have forgotten, how to make better weapons and armor."

"I want to see Cyclopes," Briares agreed. "My cyclopes-brothers maybe gone, but I want to meet the rest. I only wish you and Tyson could go too."

"I wish I could go too but at east Tyson will be visiting you before school starts," I responded, "And here."

I took out the metallic feather I saved from Daedalus' wings and handed it to him, "Think of this as a gift from your half-blood brother. That way even if I pass on one day, you have something of mine."

"Weird a son of Poseidon giving me a feather?"

I laughed. "It actually came from one of Daedalus' wings we had to threw them away, but I kept the feather."

Briares smiled as he took it. "Then I'll treasure it."

He then shook my hand about a hundred times. "We will meet again, brother. I know it!"

Then he gave Tyson a big octopus hug and waded out into the ocean. We watched until his enormous head disappeared under the waves.

I clapped Tyson on the back. "Come on, big guy. Let's have dinner."

…

It felt good to have a regular dinner at camp. Tyson sat with me at Poseidon table. The sunset over Long Island Sound was beautiful. Things weren't back to normal by a long shot, but when I went up the brazier and scrape part of my meal into the flames as an offering to Poseidon, I felt I really did have a lot to be grateful. My friends and I were alive. The Camp was safe. Kronos may have possession over Luke, but that hair brush incident showed that he might not have complete control.

The only thing that bothered me was Nico, hanging out in the shadows of the pavilion. He'd been offered a place at Hermes' table, and even at the head table with Chiron, but he had refuse. I wasn't the only one. Once in a while I saw Bianca looking at the direction of her brother from Artemis' table.

The hunters were only staying for one night. They weren't even staying for the traditional Hunters vs. Campers capture the flag game that was postponed due to threat of attack. No one was in a mood of another beat down, even if it's by either the hunters on the campers or campers beating the Hunters. But Thalia ensured me that the oath Zoë made will stay intact until the war is over, and that the next time the Camp needs help, the Hunters will come.

After dinner, the campers headed toward the amphitheater, where Apollo's cabin promised a awesome sing-along to pick up our spirits, but Nico turned and disappeared into the woods. I decided I'd better follow him.

Despite the darkness of the woods, I found Nico talking to the dead. Too my surprise, it was a familiar face—well sort of since he was a ghost. An old man with crazy crazy hair and in a snake skin suit.

"Hal!" I responded.

The old man turned to me. "I better go," he said, "Remember what I said, Nico di Angelo."

Hal faded into the darkness.

"Sorry, Percy," Nico said, "I thought since Halcyon Green gave you a piece of your destiny, he might be able to do the same for me."

I nodded. "What did he say?"

Nico sighed, "That I would return to my father's realm many times, I will be welcomed but feel alone, I will find another lost sibling and help protect the one who will right a wrong. Then I would fine peace in the one that will stop my death."

I nodded, it sounds like something Hal would say. "So then I guess you're going back in the Underworld?"

Nico nodded. "I've got tons of questions. Like who was my mother? Who paid for Bianca and me to go to school? Who was that lawyer guy who got us out of the Lotus Hotel. I don't want to bother Bianca with them, but I need to find out."

"Well, if you ever need a break from your dad, you can visit the Jackson family and friends apartment," I said. "I'm sur my mom will be happy to make you her famous chocolate chip cookies. Which reminds me."

I searched my pocket and took out the led figurine of Hades—the little Mythomagic statue Nico never got.

"I know you don't play the game anymore, but I figure you might still want it since it's a figurine of your father," I responded.

Nico took it and studied it for a bit before slipping it in his pocket. "Thanks."

"And remember what I said when we met. No matter who your dad is, if you find something new that makes you feel at least normal, stick to it," I said.

"Right," Nico said. "One last thing, I told Hal to look out for Daedalus. I didn't tell him why though."

"Thanks," I responded.

Nico turned and trudged off into the woods. The shadows seemed to bend toward him as he walked, like they were reaching out for his attention.

A voice behind me said, "There goes a very troubled young man."

I turned and found Dionysus standing there, still in his black suit.

"Walk to me to the campfire," he said. "I was beginning to feel better, so I thought I would talk with you a bit. You always manage to annoy me."

"Uh, thanks."

We walked through the woods in silence. I noticed that Dionysus was treading on air, his polished black shoes hovering an inch off the ground. I guess he didn't want to get them dirty.

"We have many betrayals," he said. "Things are not looking good for Olympus. Yet you and Annabeth saved this camp, and from what I heard my son while at it."

I shrugged. "It seemed the right thing to do after what I witnessed in the Labyrinth."

He shrugged. "Regardless, I suppose it was mildly competent of you, so I returned the favor."

We reached the amphitheater, and Dionysus pointed toward the campfire. Clarisse was sitting shoulder to shoulder with a big Hispanic kid who was telling her a joke. It was Chris Rodriguez, the half-blood who'd gone insane in the Labyrinth.

I turned to Dionysus. "You cured him?"

"Madness is my specialty. It was quite simple, and since you saved my son I felt generous enough to save this Chris boy's life. At any rate, it seems to have improve Clarisse's mood."

"So—since you're in such a good mood, did you consider my advice about training us to be your idea of being a hero?" I asked.

"Don't push it Perry Johnson," Dionysus said. "I'll admit it is tempting to mold you into the ideal hero."

I smirked but stayed quiet as I watched Clarisse and Chris singing a stupid campfire song together, holding hands in the darkness, where they thought nobody could see them. I just smiled at the sight. Their secrets are safe with me, at least until someone else finds out and blabs to the whole camp. Then I'll feel sorry for the poor fool.


	20. My Dad Pays Me a Birthday Visit

**A/N:** Certain ancient Greek names matches words use of foul language but no foul language was intentionally used. Also if you haven't read them yet read 'The Tales of the Son of Poseidon & the Early Adventures' 'The Tales of the Son of Poseidon & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief' 'The Tales of the Son of Poseidon & the Olympians: The Sea of Monsters' and 'The Tales of the Son of Poseidon & the Olympians: The Titan's Curse' before reading this story. Lastly, any one who wants to do a Demigods and Olympian reads story using 'The Tales of the Son of Poseidon' is allowed _as long as_ you inform me about it.

* * *

 **My Dad Pays Me a Birthday Visit**

The rest of the summer seemed strange because it was so normal. The daily activities: archery, rock climbing, Pegasus riding. We played captured the flag (though we all avoided Zeus' fist). We sang at the campfire and raced chariots and played practical jokes on other cabins. All the usual.

The good news for Chris Rodriguez finally got claimed by Hermes. In fact, after the battle, a lot of the unclaimed that were _theorized_ to be his kids were claimed. I guess after losing Luke to Kronos, Hermes didn't want to take any chances of losing any more kids without them knowing who their dad is.

Hermes isn't the only one affected by what happened to Luke. Annabeth and I tried to avoid any conversations about Kronos, because anytime we do, it's obvious we think of Luke.

Speaking of Hermes' kids, I had asked Travis and Connor a favor and looking around Luke's old bunk to see if they could find anything that might belong to him and to give it too me. I didn't expect Luke to leave it behind, but something told me I should make sure. Surprising enough they came back with an old worn journal—Hal's journal. I remember Luke carrying it after what happened to Luke, but I never expected for him to leave it.

I spent a lot of time with Tyson, playing with Mrs. O'Leary, but she would still howl at night when she got lonely for her old master.

July passed, with fireworks on the beach on the fourth. August turned so hot the strawberries started baking in the fields. Finally, the last day of camp arrived. The standard form letter appeared on my bed after breakfast, warning me that the cleaning harpies would devour me if I stayed past noon along with any belonging they don't think should be in our cabins (if you don't know how to hide them

At ten o'clock I stood on the top of Half-Blood Hill, waiting for the camp van that would take me into the city. Chiron agreed to look after Mrs. O'Leary at camp, and I planned to Iris message camp to make sure she hasn't caused any trouble unintentionally. Tyson and I would take turns visiting her during the year.

I had hopes that Annabeth would be joining us, but she only came to see me off. She would tend to Chiron until his leg was fully recovered, and keep studying Daedalus' laptop, which had engrossed her for the last two months before heading back to her father's place in San Francisco where she would be tending a private school.

"By the way, here," Annabeth handed me Hal's book. Through all the chaos and fun of this summer, I have forgotten I lend it to her. "You were right, it did come in handy, just not the way I had hoped."

I took Hal's book. "Thanks. Who knows? Maybe after reading Hal's Journal we can find away to help Luke just as his book helped us."

"Right…" Annabeth said looking down.

"Annabeth," I said. "What was the rest of the prophecy?"

She fixed her eyes on the woods in the distance, but she didn't say anything.

"Annabeth, please," I responded.

Annabeth took a shaky breath. _"And lose a love worse than death."_ Annabeth had tears in her eyes. "That was the last line, Percy."

The sun seemed colder than it had a moment ago.

"Annabeth, I'm sorry," I responded.

Before Annabeth could respond, a sparkle of light appeared next to us, like someone had opened a gold curtain in the air.

"You have nothing to apologize for, my dears." Standing on the hill was a tall woman in a white dress, her dark hair braided over her shoulder.

"Hera," Annabeth said.

The goddess smiled. "You found the answers, as I knew you would. Your quest was a success."

 _"A success?"_ Annabeth said. "Luke is gone. Daedalus is dead. Pan is dead. How is that—"

"Our family is safe," Hera insisted. "Those others are better gone, my dear. I am proud of you. And Percy, what you went through was just as necessary for your destiny as one of the great heroes.

I balled my fist. I couldn't believe she was saying this. Most importantly a realization hit me

"You know who the other six are" I asked. "The other six great heroes Hal mentioned. You know who they are."

Hera shrugged. Her dress shimmered in colors. "Knowing too much of the future is too dangerous for a mortal, Percy Jackson. I thought Halcyon Green taught you that. But yes, I am _aware_ of who the other six are."

"Is one of them Jason?" I asked. "Is that why you took him?"

Hera's eyes turned dangerously bright. "Watch yourself, son of Poseidon. I helped you in many ways in this quest."

"Except for Amalthiea," I stated.

"Yes, well, as you know by now, that's Pan's doing," Hera stated.

"You weren't much help," Annabeth said, "You were only looking out for your _ideal_ family. Next time you want to help me, do me a favor and _don't_."

Hera sneered was worse than an _empousa's_. Her form began to glow. "You will regret that, Annnabeth. You will regret it very much."

I averted my eyes as the goddess turned into her true divine form and disappeared in a blaze of light.

The hilltop was peaceful again. Over at the pine tree, Peleus the dragon dozed under the Golden Fleece as if nothing had happened.

"Well, I guess we found out who Ares got his sneer from," I said.

"I'm sorry," Annabeth told me. "I—I should get back. I'll keep in touch."

"Right," I responded, "Don't get too obsessive with Daedalus' Laptop."

"I don't get obsessive about anything!" Annabeth responded which made me laugh.

Then Argus honked his horn down the road.

"Take care, Seaweed Brain," Annabeth said before jogging down the hill to the cabins.

…

Two days later was my birthday and now I was turning Fifteen. One year away from my sixteenth birthday. It was also the day I planned to tell Paul the truth. Thank gods Tyson agreed to let his—and this is in his terms—new step-daddy who he really is.

My mom threw me a small party at our apartment. Paul Blofis came over and announced that I was still welcome to Goode High School.

Finally came the truth when we revealed the Paul about my _secret life_. At first he thought it was a joke until I used a little Mist manipulation to reveal Tyson as a Cyclopes.

"So wait, you're a demigod like from all of the Greek and Roman stories and your father is Poseidon?" Paul asked.

"Yeah," I responded.

"And you go to a camp that trains demigods like you," Paul said.

"Basically," I responded.

"And Tyson here is really your half brother that you adopted to help him prove himself to work at the forges of the Cyclops'," Paul said.

"Yep!" Tyson replied proudly.

"Tyson actually has proven himself, but our dad let him visit this summer," I explained, "I also got a pet hellhound the size of a tank and a hundred handed one has came to accept me as his brother ever since two months ago."

"Sorry for not telling you sooner, Paul, but we didn't want to scare you away," my mom told him.

I half expected Paul to be mad or upset but he laughed.

"You're not mad?" I asked.

Paul stopped laughing. "Of course not. I figured you had some kind of family secret, especially when Sally always changes the subject when I tried to ask about your father. Not to mention that old picture of you and three of your closest friends your mother has."

"Oh, right," I blushed.

"Honestly, I feel honor you trust me enough to fill me in on your secret," Paul said, "So since we got that out of the way, how about we get this party ready for celebration."

None of us argued. To be honest after finding out how well Paul took the news it felt great to celebrate my birthday.

However, while Tyson helped my mom blow up party balloons, Paul Blofis asked me to help him in the kitchen.

As we were pouring punch he said, "I am glad you finally told me what really is going on in your life Percy."

"No problem, Paul. You make my mom happy, and I feel telling you the truth is the best way to repay you," I responded.

"I take it something happened at your camp if you're not in a real party mood," Paul said.

"I'm in a partying mood," I lied.

"Come on, Percy. You told me the truth about yourself, so you can tell me what else is going on," Paul said.

I sighed and told Paul about the situation with the Titan army and how Kronos took over Luke.

"I see," Paul said.

"Luke was like a big brother to me, and I find out the Titan Lord was the reason I never told him the truth about his parents," I responded. "And now—I just hope Hal's journal might give me some idea of how to help Luke."

"Well, all I can tell you is to not give up hope," Paul said.

"Thanks," I responded.

Paul handed me a cup of punch and we tapped them, for a better year.

"Now, Percy, I kind of feel bad giving one more thing to think about," Paul said, "But I wanted to ask you something."

"Yeah?"

"Girl stuff."

I frowned. "What do you mean?"

"Your mom," Paul said. "I'm thinking of proposing to her."

I almost dropped my cup. "You mean… marrying her? You and her?"

"Well that was the general idea. Since you're Sally's oldest son, and you guys went so far to tell me about your life as a demigod, I thought it was only right if I talked to you about it first, man to man. So what do you think

"I think it's a great idea," I responded. "Really! All I want was for my mom to be happy, and you make her happy. Plus, Tyson already seemed to have grown attach to you, especially since you accepted him Cyclops and all. So if you want to propose to her, you have my permission."

He smiled really wide then. "Cheers, Percy. Let's join the party."

…

I was just getting ready to blow out the candles when the doorbell rang.

My mom frowned. "Who could that be?"

It was weird, because our new building had a doorman, but he hadn't called up or anything. My mom opened the door and gasped.

It was my dad. He was wearing Bermuda shorts and a Hawaiian shirt and Birkenstocks, like he usually does. His black beard was neatly trimmed and his sea-green eyes twinkled. He wore a battered cap decorated with fishing urs. It said NEPTUNE'S LUCKY FISHING HAT.

"Poseidon," My mother said blushing right to the roots of her hair.

"Hello, Sally," Poseidon. "You look as beautiful as ever. May I come in."

Paul decided to introduced himself, which was kind of weird since he just found out my dad is the sea god.

"Hi, I'm Paul Blofis, you must be Percy's and Tyson's divine father."

Poseidon raised his eyebrows as they shook hands. "Blowfish, did you say?"

"Ah, no. Blofis, actually. But that's okay," Paul said, "Percy made the same mistake when we met."

"I see," Dad said looking at me. "My name is Poseidon."

"The sea god," Paul said.

Now my dad was giving us a curious look.

"He knows, dad," I responded.

"Ah, I see," Poseidon responded.

"Daddy!" Tyson bounded across the room and gave Poseidon a big hug, which almost knocked off his fishing hat.

"Um, we're so glad you could drop by, Poseidon," mom said.

"Well, I couldn't miss Percy's fifteenth Birthday," Poseidon said, "If we were back in Sparta, he would be a man today!"

"That's true," Paul said. "I used to teach ancient history. In fact, I got Percy a spot at the school I teach at."

"I heard," Poseidon said, "I must thank you for that. Anyways, Sally, Paul, Tyson… would you mind if I borrow Percy for just a moment?"

He put his arm around me and steered me into the kitchen.

Once we were alone, his smile faded.

"Are you all right, my boy?"

"Yeah. I'm fine. I guess."

"I heard stories, especially about Hermes' son," Poseidon said. "But I wanted to hear it directly from you. Tell me everything."

So I did. It was kind of disconcerting, because Poseidon listened so intently. His eyes never left my face. His expression didn't change the whole time I talked. When I was done, he nodded slowly.

"So Kronos is indeed back. It will not be long before full war is upon us."

"Dad, Luke's body is mortal and yet Kronos possessed him," I said, "When I talked to Chiron about it, he mention something about other cultures stories."

"There are cultures like that, but I doubt Kronos went into that much extent. He probably found something else to prepare Luke's body to host the Titan's soul. The only bad news is Luke will have to be killed in order to send Kronos back to the pit. I will have to think on this. Unfortunately, I have other problems on my own."

"The old sea gods?" I asked.

"Indeed. The battle came first to me, Percy. In fact, I cannot stay long. Even now the ocean is at war with itself. It is all I can do to keep hurricanes and typhoons from destroying your surface world, the fighting is so intense."

"I wish I can help," I responded. "It stinks that I'm suppose to be one of the greatest heroes and yet I can't help my own father."

Dad's eyes crinkled as he smiled. "Maybe so, my boy. But I sense that the destiny brought to you all those years ago meant you being a great hero here. Which reminds me…" He brought out a sand dollar and pressed it into my hand. "Your birthday present."

"Another sanddollar," I responded.

"I know you're probably bored of getting nothing but sand dollars by now, Percy. But trust me when the time comes, you'll be grateful that you have them," He tod me.

I closed my hand around the sand dollar, but something was really bothering me.

"Dad," I said, "when I was in the maze, I met Antaeus. He said… well, he said he was your favorite son. He decorated his arena with skulls and—"

"He dedicated them to me," Dad supplied.

"I get it was old fashioned way of anyone to dedicate that kind of stuff too you, but it still bothers me," I responded.

Dad put his weathered hand on my shoulder. "Percy, never let anyone tell you how you should honor me. What Antaeus and Polyphemus did in the past—it only shows what they really are. Besides, Percy, _you_ are my favorite son."

I was completely off guard by what dad just said. "Me?"

He nodded. "You're not like the rest of your past siblings. You're loyal to your friends and family. I know you want to live to your up to your destiny Hal set for you to honor his memory and when it comes to claiming victory, you're not selfish to where you keep all the glory to yourself. Most importantly, you're willing to face your destiny in honor of Hal and not just because of the fame," Dad said. "And that's why you're my favorite son."

I smiled hearing my dad said. Then my mom called from the living room. "Percy? The candles are melting!"

"You'd better go," Dad said, "But Percy, one last thing you should know. That incident at Mount St. Helens…"

For a second I thought he was talking about Annabeth kissing me, and I bushed, but then I realized he was talking about something a lot bigger.

"The eruptions are continuing," he said, "Typhon is stirring. It is very likely that soon, in a few months, perhaps a year at best, he will escape his bonds."

"I'm sorry," I said. "I didn't mean—"

Poseidon raised his hand. "It's not your fault, Percy. It would've happened sooner or later, with Kronos awakening the ancient monsters. But be aware, if Typhon stirs… it will be unlike anything you have faced before. The first time he appeared, all the forces of Olympus were barely enough to battle him. And when he stirs again, he will come here, to New York. He will make straight for Olympus."

That was just the kind of wonderful news I wanted to get on my birthday. But dad patted me on the back like everything was fine. "I should go. Enjoy your cake."

And just like that he turned to mist and was swept out the window on a warm ocean breeze. Thank gods Paul knows the truth, because it would be really hard to explain that.

We ate blue cake and ice cream until we couldn't eat anymore. Then we played a bunch of cheesy party games like charades and Monopoly. Tyson didn't get charades. He kept shouting the answer he was trying to mime, but it turned out he was really good at Monopoly. He knocked me out of the game in the first five rounds and started bankrupting my mom and Paul. I left them playing and went into my bedroom.

I set an uneaten slice of blue cake on my dresser. Then I took off my Camp Half-Blood necklace and laid it on the windowsill. There were Eight beads now, representing the Five years as a full time camper and three years as a summer only camper—the pine tree, the centaur in a prom dress, the trireme on fire, the winged sneakers, the silver arrow, the lightning bolt, the golden fleece, and the latest: a intricate maze symbolizing the battle of Labyrinth, as the campers had started calling it.

I smirked a little when I think about the bead. Although the reason for the bead was of the battle, the cause of the battle was the quest Annabeth led. So in away she finally did something that got memorized in the beads. Although she might not see it that way.

I looked at the telephone at my bedside. I thought about calling Rachel Elizabeth Dare. My mom had asked me if there was anyone else I wanted to have over tonight, and I thought about Rachel. But I didn't call. I don't know why. The idea made me almost as nervous as a door into the Labyrinth.

I decided to empty my stuff from my pockets—Riptide, a Kleenex, my apartment key. I even put my thermos on my nightstand. Then I patted my shirt pocket. I hadn't even realized it, but I was wearing the white cotton shirt Calypso had given me on Ogygia. I brought out a little piece of cloth, unwrapped it, and found a clipping of moonlace. It was a tiny sprig, shriveled up after two months, but I could still smell the faint scent of the enchanted garden. It made me sad.

I remembered my promise to Calypso to free her and Pan's last words.

I opened the window and stepped out onto the fire escape.

My mom kept a planter box out there. In the spring she usually filled it with flowers, but now it was all dirt, waiting for something new. It was a clear night. The moon was full over Eighty-second Street. I planted the dried sprig of moonlace carefully in the dirt and sprinkled a little nectar on it from my camp canteen as I prayed to Demeter and Persephone both.

Nothing happened at first.

Then, as I watched, a silver plant sprang out of the soil—a baby moonlace, glowing in the warm summer night.

"Nice plant," a voice said.

I jumped. Nico di Angelo was standing on the fire escape right next to me. He must have shadow traveled here.

"Sorry," he said. "Didn't mean to startle you."

"It's okay. It's just something I'll have to get use to," I responded, "So what brings you here?"

He'd grown about an inch taller over the last couple of months. His hair was a shaggy black mess. He wore a black T-shirt, black jeans, and a new silver ring shaped like a skull. His stygian iron sword hung at his side.

"I'd done some exploring," He said. "Thought you'd like to know, Daedalus got his punishment."

"You saw him?"

Nico nodded. "Minos wanted to boil him in cheese fondue for eternity, but my father had other ideas. Daedalus will be building overpass and exit ramps in the Asphodel for all time. It'll help ease the traffic congestion. Truthfully, I think the old guy is pretty happy with that. He's still building. Still creating. And he get to see his son and Perdix on the weekends. Plus dad didn't fired Minos, but did put him on a hundred year probation."

"Ouch," I responded.

"Daedalus also carried on your word to Hal," Nico said, "Hal wasn't surprise to hear that. If anything he seemed proud."

"Well, that's good," I responded with a smile.

Nico tapped his silver ring. "But that's not the real reason I've come. I've found out some things. I want to make you an offer."

"What?"

"The way to beat Kronos through Luke," he said. "If I'm right, it's the _only_ way you'll stand a chance."

I took a deep breath. "Okay. I'm listening."

Nico glanced inside my room. His eyebrows furrowed. "Is that… is that blue birthday cake?"

He sounded hungry, maybe a little wistful. Being a son of Hades, I wonder if he ever had a birthday party, or if he'd ever even invited to one. Plus I know my offer to him still holds about him being invited anytime.

"Come inside for cake and ice cream," I said. "It sounds like we've got a lot to talk about."

* * *

 **A/N:** That's the end of the story. Before I get to the Last Olympian story, I will be doing the cannon version of the one shot mini stories of the Percy Jackson that takes place between 'The Battle of the Labyrinth' and 'The Last Olympian' of the Percy Jackson and the Olympian series.


End file.
